


Zoey's Extraordinary Nightmare

by AubreyRichman



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:29:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AubreyRichman/pseuds/AubreyRichman
Summary: An event causes Zoey to realize her worst fears.Winner of the 2020 Clarkeman Fanfiction Award for Best Angst!For a complete Clarkeman Fanfiction Winners and Runner-Up List see https://ladylillianrose.tumblr.com/post/642763652687134720/2020-clarkeman-fanfiction-award-winners
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 128
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the dress Zoey wears to the funeral.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Noctflos-Womens-Cocktail-Wedding-Bodycon/dp/B075WWVT6K?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_2
> 
> Also, thanks to Jade and Tracie for helping me out with this piece.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Zoey sighed. Her forehead resting on her desk in front of her keyboard. The coding for the CHIRP was driving her crazy and it was only 11AM. She took a deep breath and sat upright. She looked up to see how Max was doing, only to find his chair empty. He had accepted the job on the 6th floor but she knew he wasn’t starting up there until Monday. She double checked the date as they all started to blend together. She was right, it was only Thursday.

She took a deep breath and went back to the line of code she was reviewing. She heard footsteps exiting Joan’s office. Max appeared in her periphery as he approached his desk. She saw him glace over at her and looked up to meet his gaze. He gave her a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

She smiled back and teased, “Just because you have a new job, doesn’t mean you can be late to this one on your last days.”

He chuckled and nodded. “I had to go down to HR to have a new badge made for next week. I finally get a new picture! I could hardly recognize myself in the old one!”

She laughed, remembering the photo. He had changed a bit since company orientation. His hair was shorter and he was leaner than before, especially in his face.

Feeling nostalgic, Zoey thought of something. “Max.” He looked up at her with a questioning look when she didn’t continue right away. She cleared her throat nervously. “Can we go to lunch together today, for old times sake?”

He looks hesitant, stiffens at his desk and she can see the wheels spinning in his head as his hands freeze over the keyboard. She continues hastily. “With you moving upstairs, it would be nice to celebrate your promotion before you go.”

He settles in his chair slightly. “Sure. Why not?”

“Since we are celebrating your promotion, anywhere you want to go?”

“Want to go to that Thai place across the street?”

She nodded and smiled. He returned the smile and turned back to his work. Noon came and went and at 1:30, Zoey looked up from her computer and groaned. “I’m sorry this portion is taking so long. I should be done in about 10 minutes or so. Do you want to go ahead and get in line for a table?”

Max looked up and smiled. “You sure? I can wait. I was late this morning…”.

Zoey nodded. “You know how long their waits can be. I should be there before you even get a table.”

Max chuckled and agreed. He set the computer to sleep mode and grabbed his jacket. He patted her desk on the way past. “I’ll see you in 15 then. Don’t take too long!”

* * *

Zoey came to a stopping point 8 minutes later and grabbed her own jacket. She turned around and put the computer to sleep and headed to the lobby. As she left SPRQPoint, she pulled her jacket closer around her. A fresh chill was in the air and it was starting to rain. She climbed the stairs that dropped down to the lobby entrance on the outside of the building and saw a crowd gathered at the crosswalk. Lights were flashing and emergency vehicles had blocked the road. She approached the crosswalk at the intersection and worked her way to the front, trying to see the best way to cross the street to get to lunch with Max. Like anyone that passes an accident, she glanced over to see if she could find out what happened.

The man laying in the crosswalk had dark hair and a slight build. _That jacket…_ She felt her heart stop for several seconds and then it dropped to the pit of her stomach. She took a step forward and she could see his face. Max.

The world blurred and she suddenly found herself 4 feet from her best friend and was being held back by a police officer. Tears streamed down her face as she called out his name. He did not respond. The paramedics beside him looked at each other and were speaking words that she could not hear. Everything was silent as she watched one of the paramedics begin performing CPR. They rolled him onto a backboard and lifted him onto a stretcher where the paramedic resumed compressions. The police officer looked at her. “Mam. Are you family?”

Zoey took a deep breath to answer but couldn’t look away from her friend as the paramedics fought for his life. She heard a voice behind her. “She’s the closest thing he has on this coast. His family lives in New York.” Tobin put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed gently.

The officer nodded. “Do you want to go with him to the hospital?”

Zoey could only voice one word. “Yes.” She rasped.

The officer and Tobin walked her to the ambulance as the paramedics quickly loaded Max into the back and helped Zoey inside.

Tobin looked up at his friends in the back of the ambulance and his eyes started to water. “I’ll tell Joan. He needs you now, Zoey.”

She nodded, never taking her eyes off of Max. The doors of the ambulance closed and the sirens started as they pulled away towards the hospital. She watched the paramedics continue to work to save her best friend. She blinked and shook her head. She was finally able to take stock of his injuries. He had scrapes to his arms and torso and his pants were ripped. He was bruised and blood stained. He had a cut on his forehead. But, the worst part, were his eyes. They stared straight ahead. Unblinking. His eyes that had always been so full of life and love, were empty, unseeing. The tears doubled in strength and she pleaded with him. “Please, Max. Please, come back to me. I can’t lose you. Not now. Not after everything we have been through together. Please, come back. Please. Please.” She sobbed quietly.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital and she followed the stretcher into the ER. They wheeled him into a trauma bay as the Paramedics started spewing medical terminology to the Attending physician and the trauma nurse. They continued CPR and one of the nurses pulled her aside. “Are you his wife?”

Zoey shook her head. “I’m his best friend. His family lives on the east coast. They aren’t close.”

“You can stay here if you stay out of the way. Is there anything you can tell us about him? Any medical issues we need to know?”

She shook her head. “He’s healthy. He’s just lactose intolerant.”

The nurse nodded and called out a couple of terms to the other nurse who was administering medication in the hopes of restarting his heart. Zoey stayed back and watched the team work, tears in her eyes as she prayed to every higher power she could think of. _Please, God. Save him. Bring him back to me._

The team stopped working and a flat tone echoed in the silent room. “Asystole. He’s been down over 40 minutes. He isn’t coming back….” The doctor cursed softly. Time of death 14:27.”

“No.” Zoey gasped softly. _No._

The trauma team stepped back from the stretcher and removed the tube that had been placed to keep his airway open. Zoey stepped forward and took Max’s right hand. It was still warm, but it didn’t grasp hers like it always had. His eyes were still open but unmoving. She moved from his hand to his face. She lightly brushed her hand over his hair and grazed her thumb over his cheek. She looked into his honeyed-chocolate eyes and wished that she could see the love he used to hold in them. She bent forward and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead. The nurse she had spoken to earlier came to the other side of the bed and asked permission to help to close his eyes. Zoey nodded. As the nurse closed his eyes, Zoey felt her heart break. And like the rain outside, Zoey’s tears kept falling.

* * *

Max’s family started arriving that night. His older sister, Allison, arrived first and their older brother, Scott, arrived the next day. Zoey met both of them at their hotel and took them to Max’s apartment as she had a key and they didn’t know where it was. She was still in shock as she guided them through the space that she knew so well. Expecting Max to be around every corner. But he wasn’t. It was empty, except for Oliver, Max’s beloved orange tabby. The grand piano in the corner by the windows, the large kitchen with its stainless steel, his living room with the couch they had so often used for movie night. She didn’t cry. She felt too numb.

She knew that his relationship with his family had been strained but that it was mostly related to his father. She knew he still spoke to his mother often enough. His parents arrived the night after Scott did. They rented a suite in the hotel around the corner from Max’s apartment. Zoey spent the next few days in a haze. Her mom offered to do the flowers for the service and for that she was grateful. Max’s family could certainly afford it but they were not involved with planning the funeral. Some excuse about not knowing who he had grown up to be. They were willing to pay for it, however.

Mo was a godsend. He planned the whole service. Zoey went to Max’s place daily before the funeral, finding items to represent Max’s too-short life, and to take care of Ollie. The night before the funeral, she finally entered his long-avoided bedroom and saw the jacket he had worn the morning of her journaling speech at SPRQPoint, laying on the chair in the corner. She picked up the jacket and held it to her chest, burying her face in it. It smelled like him. She looked back at the chair and spotted the journal she had given him. She picked it up and saw, without opening it, that the pages had started to wear. He had actually used it! Tears started to pool in her eyes but she held them back. She moved back and sat on the bed, holding the jacket in one hand and the journal in the other. She wanted to open it but it felt too personal. She curled up on the bed, her head on one of the pillows. She knew he slept on the other side of the bed and she lay there, staring at the spot where he should have been. The place she had seen him on many movie nights when they didn’t want to just sit on the couch.

 _I’ll never hear him sing to me again. I’ll never hug him again. I’ll never hear him laugh. I’ll never be able to kiss him. I’ll never be able to tell him the truth. I knew what I wanted. And now I’ve lost it._ Her mind kept coming back to the question that the nurse had asked. _Are you his wife?_ She wished she could have said yes.

She slowly looked at the journal. She needed to write the eulogy. That’s all Mo had wanted her to do. Find items to represent him as a person and to find the words to do the same. As she knew him best, she knew it was only right. She hesitantly picked it back up off his pillow where she had placed it. She opened it to the first page. And that is when the tears started to pour down her cheeks. Reading his thoughts on paper was different than hearing his heart songs. His heart songs had been expressed when his feelings were at their highest and it was eye opening. But, to see the minutia he noticed every day, thoughts about coworkers, about himself, about her. It was a revelation. She thought she knew him before. Thoughts started to come together and soon; her thoughts became the perfect eulogy.

* * *

The next morning, she heard a doorbell, which was confusing. She didn’t have a doorbell. She opened her eyes and found herself in Max’s bedroom. She had fallen asleep on his California King and was cuddling his pillow. She buried her face in it and drew in his scent. The comforting smell that was just so, Max. Ollie was asleep on her feet. The doorbell rang again, and she reluctantly let go of the pillow and got out of bed, forcing Oliver awake. She went answer the door and found Mo outside.

“I figured you would be here. I didn’t hear you come home last night.”

“I was writing the eulogy.” Zoey said quietly.

Mo nodded and brought Zoey in for a hug. “I miss him, too. I’m so sorry, Zo.”

Zoey turned around and went back to the bedroom to gather her papers and the journal. Mo followed her in. He was carrying a garment bag. “I brought you a dress. I was looking through your closet and I couldn’t find one that worked.”

“You didn’t have to do that, Mo.”

“I did.” Mo said, and left it at that.

Zoey changed into the dress Mo had brought and she had to admit, it was perfect. (Link above)

It was still cold and rainy, and at the last second, Zoey grabbed Max’s jacket that she had been guarding and put it on as she left his apartment. She didn’t care that it did not match the dress and Mo just nodded in acceptance and affirmation.

They arrived at the cemetery and opened their umbrellas. David was helping Howie to get Mitch out of the car and into his chair. Emily was standing with Maggie, talking to Allison and a couple that Zoey recognized as Max’s parents from the pictures he had in his apartment.

Zoey slowly approached the graveside and started to place the items on the table under the temporary pavilion. The Rubik’s cube that he kept on his dresser. It was the first one he ever solved, and one he used so often; the stickers were wearing off. Next, she placed a binder of sheet music on the table. She would arrive for movie night and she could always hear the piano as she knocked on the door. Sometimes he would sing, others, he would just play the ivory keys and let the music flow. She looked at the table and the pictures that Mo had already provided, all of them featuring Max’s 1000-watt smile and warm eyes. She set down a picture of a beautiful sunset that Max had been lucky enough to capture with his Nikon, which was the next item she set on the table. He loved that camera. He wasn’t a professional by any means, but he enjoyed it anyways. It was just part of him. She went to set the journal on the table and decided against it. She held onto it and turned to meet her family. She approached them all and said hello. They all exchanged greetings and hugs.

She turned to Max’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Richman, I’m sorry we had to meet like this. I wish Max was here to introduce us. I’m Zoey.”

Mrs. Richman’s face lit up in recognition of the name and reached out to hug Zoey. “Oh, my dear. He talked about you a lot. You meant so much to him. Thank you for being there for him when we couldn’t.”

Mr. Richman reached forward and shook her hand. “Thank you, Zoey. I regret not being closer to Max, but I know that you meant a lot to him.”

Zoey felt her eyes start to well up with tears again as they spoke.

She heard more car doors open and looked over to see her coworkers arriving. Tobin and Leif climbed out of the taxi, dressed more somberly than she had ever seen them. Joan climbed out of the town-car behind the taxi. The other coders slowly trickled over.

Simon exited the front passenger side of the taxi that Tobin and Leif had taken. He approached her slowly, his hands in his pockets. “I’m so sorry, Zoey.” She nodded and pulled the jacket closer to her with the journal that had Max’s eulogy folded inside. He looked at her with sadness in his eyes, true sympathy.

She greeted her coworkers briefly and then Mo stood at the graveside to begin the service. The family took their seats and invited Zoey and her family to sit with them beside the coffin. Mo opened the service with a general prayer to God but did not close as he typically would in honor of Max and his Jewish faith. He then turned to Zoey and announced that she would be giving the eulogy.

Zoey stood and walked to the front. There was a small podium and she set the journal on it. She gripped the podium with both hands and took a deep breath to steady herself. She looked over at the picture of Max that was beaming at her from beside her, and then up at the assembly. There were enough people that many had to stand outside the pavilion that had been erected for the family. A small sea of people with black umbrellas.

She looked at the picture again and smiled softly. “For those of you that don’t know me, I am Zoey Clarke. Max is my best friend. We met when we both started working at SPRQPoint on the same day. He came over and greeted me and we were fast friends. Those of you who knew him, knew him as a kind, generous person who always put others first. You would be right. I thought I had an inkling of just how much he protected me and others. But truthfully, I had no idea until I was looking for the items on the table behind me and I found the journal I gave him, like I gave all of my team the first day I became team leader. I saw that the pages were worn. He had actually used it. It took all I had to gather the strength to open it. In reading even just 2 pages, I had new insight into my best friend. I already knew that he loved me, but that He didn’t want to push me into a relationship while I was trying to help my family. I knew that. I am sure some of you did as well.”  
She saw smiles and nods from several people. Mo, Joan, Tobin, Simon, and shockingly enough, every member of Max’s family.

She chuckled. “Max was the sweetest man I have ever met, but he was not good at being sneaky. He was awkwardly obvious, but it still took me forever to know how he felt. But not only that, He guarded MY feelings. He protected ME. He built a Levee to keep me safe from the flood of emotions my life was throwing at me. The flood of sadness caused by my father’s illness, the flood of stress from work, even the changes of everyday life! He was my lighthouse in a storm. He helped me navigate them all, most times at his own expense.” Tears were pouring down her face at this point.

“I was going to lunch with him the day of the accident. A celebration of his promotion. Of his success. It was the one thing he had allowed himself in quite some time. And I never had the chance to tell him how much it all meant to me. How I truly felt for him...” She choked back a sob. “How I loved how he would play the piano to calm himself after a busy day at work. How I loved how he didn’t ever give up on his photography, even though it didn’t always turn out. How I loved how his mind worked. How much I loved HIM. How much I loved him. Because I did. I loved him.” She let go of the podium and pulled the jacket close around her. She approached the mahogany casket and laid her hand upon it. Tears fell onto the rich wood as she reached inside herself. “I love you, Max. I miss you. Thank you for being everything to me.”

She pulled a picture out of the jacket pocket. It was a picture of the two of them in her parent’s backyard at one of their summer barbecues. She was laughing and her eyes were squinted shut but what she had never noticed before was Max. He was looking right at her, laughing beside him. There was so much love in his eyes. She did not know how she had not seen it before his heart songs. They both had a copy of this picture. Mo had taken this copy from her apartment and his was safe in her purse. She leaned forward and kissed the casket softly as she placed the picture atop it. “Goodbye.”

She turned back and reluctantly took her hand off the coffin and sat in her seat. One by one, family and friends came forward to pay their respects to the man who had meant so much to so many.

After the service, Zoey and Mo returned to Max’s apartment. Zoey had left some of her personal items there and realized she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to hold on as long as she could. She lay there on the bed, in Max’s place this time, taking in as much of him as she could before she had to let him go. Oliver came and curled up next to her, purring, but periodically looking towards the door. Looking for Max. Mo went home to Eddie and Zoey stayed. She cried herself to sleep laying on Max’s pillow, charcoal comforter burying her in the massive and empty bed. She found herself welcoming the darkness of slumber.

* * *

Zoey awoke the next morning to a bright room. White down-comforter pushed down around her feet after a restless night. She looked around for Oliver, only to realize she was in her own bedroom. Mo was singing “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning”. She reached over to look at her phone. Thursday, April 16, 2020.

She sat up sharply in her bed. “What the F----?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The heartsong in this fic is 'Brave' by Josh Groban.

Zoey sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the date on her phone in disbelief. Thursday, April 16, 2020. It had to be wrong. Today was Tuesday, April 21. She unlocked the screen and slowly scrolled through the contact list. Max’s name popped up on her favorites list, under her parent’s names, but over David’s. She hovered over it and then selected his name. 

The phone started to ring, and she waited, nervously, praying he would pick up. It took 5 rings, but he answered in his clear voice. “Zoey, you ok? Did we have something this morning that I forgot about?” 

She sighed as relief filled her chest and hope filled her heart. “I’m ok. We didn’t have anything today but…” she trails off starting to lose her nerve. 

“But what, Zo?” Max prompted after several seconds of silence. 

“Can we go to lunch today? Celebrate your promotion. And talk….” 

She heard Max take a deep breath. “Zo…”

“Please, Max. I need to see you.” She pleaded. 

There is silence for a moment and Zoey prepared herself to tell him not to worry about it. She heard a couple of piano keys in the background and the closing of a piano lid. “Okay. I’ll see you at work. I need to see HR about a new badge and then I’ll be up.” He said softly. 

“Thank you! I’ll see you then.” Zoey hung up and got ready. As she chose her clothes for the day, she realized what he had said about HR. Today was NOT going to end up like her dream. They are NOT going to that Thai place. She decided to pick up sandwiches from their favorite shop on the way to work, and She developed another plan.

* * *

Zoey entered work and promptly went to Joan’s office to let her know she had personal business to attend to and would be taking an extended lunch but would be willing to stay later to make up for the time. Joan approved it and Zoey checked one box off her mental checklist and went about setting up the rest of her plan. 

She was working on the code for the CHIRP when Max walked by her desk. He had more pep in his step than the last time she saw him. She called out a soft greeting and he turned around to face her. “Hey, Zo.” He said with a smile. This time, his smile was a little brighter and he looked at her with a mixture of hope and apprehension. She smiled widely in return. Happy to see him smile with hope again. Happy to see him alive again. She had lost him on Thursday and his funeral had been Monday. Even in a dream, 4.5 days of life without the man you loved was enough. She never wanted to feel that pain again.

Her memories flashed to a moment she had with her mom a couple weeks back. She had been talking to her mom about her dad. 

_“Would you still choose Dad, knowing what you know now? Knowing what happens to him?”_

_Maggie smiled at her daughter. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. Even just ONE of the good moments with your father, is worth more than ALL of the bad moments put together. When you love someone, love really does conquer all.”_

_“Come what may?” Zoey asked with a smile._

_“Come what may and love them.” Maggie replied._

Zoey knew how she felt now. She had more clarity than she had in months. More clarity than she had since her dad got sick. More clarity than she had since she had since the Heartsongs began. And she wasn’t going to waste any more time. 

“Zo? You sure you’re ok?” Max asked, approaching her desk. He raised his eyebrows in silent question. 

She nodded rapidly. “Y... Yes. I’m ok. I just was thinking back on something my mom said.”

Max nodded and stopped in front of her desk. He rested his hands on the wood. “Any idea where you want to go to lunch?”

“Actually, I picked up sandwiches from your favorite shop on my way in today. I wanted to save time so I could really talk to you.” She looked up at him hopefully. _A very common emotion today. Who’d have thought a nightmare would bring so much hope?_

Max looked at her, his brows furrowed slightly. _It’s like I can see the wheels in his head spinning. Please say yes._

His face relaxed and he smiled, the first true smile she has seen from him in weeks. “That sounds great to me. That was really thoughtful, Zoey. Thank you!”

She smiled back, her cheeks flushing under his gaze. He turned and went back to his desk. But she didn’t miss the glance he sent her way when she took a deep breath in and exhaled. She glanced at him often while they worked for the next hour, making sure he really was there.

* * *

Noon rolled around and Zoey’s stomach rumbled, loudly. Max looked up from his desk with a smirk. “Time for lunch?” He questioned.

Zoey chuckled at him and nodded. She retrieved the sandwiches from the break room fridge and came back to the desk to see Max standing and putting his jacket on. “Where are we going?” he asked as he came to her side, adding quietly, “I’m guessing we aren’t going to be _talking_ in the middle of the bullpen…” 

She shook her head with a small smile and motioned for him to follow her. She lead the way to the elevator and pushed the button for the roof. He raises his eyebrows, confused. She nodded at him when the elevator opened, and they entered. The elevator went directly to the roof with no interruptions and the door opened. There is a keyed entry to the rooftop garden and Zoey punched her code. They walked into the garden and Zoey pushed a button on the keypad, causing the gate to lock behind them. No one else can get in without the code but you didn’t need a code to get out. She had reserved the roof for their lunch today. No one was going to bother them. 

Max looked around at the empty roof, smirking to himself. “You weren’t kidding were you. You really want to talk.” He sets the sandwich bags on the table beside him.

She heard music notes start to play faintly in the background. 

Max opened his mouth and she heard his clear voice.

_Wake up wake up the sun cannot wait for long_

_Reach out, reach out before it fades away_

_You will find the warmth when you surrender_

_Smile into the fear and let it play_

He gazed at her intently and continued his song, moving about the garden gracefully, using the planter boxes as obstacles in his dance. 

_You wanna run away run away, and you say that it can't be so_

_You wanna look away look away, but you stay 'cause it's all so close_

_When you stand up and hold out your hand_

_In the face of what I don't understand_

_My reason to be brave_

Zoey watched him sing to her as he navigated his way about the rooftop garden. She was so grateful to hear him sing. She thought she would never hear it again.

_Hold on hold on so strong_

_Times just carries on_

_All that you thought was wrong is pure again_

_You can't hide forever from the thunder_

_Look into the storm and feel the rain_

Max ran up to Zoey and grasped her hands and pulled her into a spin and a vibrant foxtrot between the planters. He led her skillfully through the maze and she wondered if he knew how to ballroom dance without the heartsong. She made a mental note to ask him later as he broke into one last chorus.

_Go on, go on_

_You wanna run away run away and you say that it can't be so_

_You wanna look away look away But you stay 'cause it's all so close_

_When you stand up and hold out your hand_

_In the face of what I don't understand_

_My reason to be brave_

He ended up back at the table with his hands on the sandwich bag. She turned away slightly, so that she can still see him, but so that she can more privately wipe away the tear on her cheek. He turned away from the bag and looked to Zoey. 

Zoey turned back to him and pulled him into a tight hug. Max pulled her close after a momentary hesitation, his arms wrapping around her, holding her tight as she shook against him. He held her and ran his hands down her back, trying to comfort her as best he could without knowing the cause of her distress. 

His hands came to rest on her back lightly as she pulled back from him and looked him in the eyes. Her blue eyes were rimmed with red from crying, but she didn’t seem sad. She seemed, surprisingly cheerful. He was even more confused than ever but he remained where he stands, Zoey held loosely in his embrace. She pulled close to him again, sighing against him. 

“Max, thank you. I really needed to see you today.”

“I’m always here, Zoey. You know that.”

She pulled back and sat on the bench behind him. “I know. But I also know that it hasn’t been easy for you to be there for me. You’ve sacrificed so much time for me.” 

Max took a deep breath and turned around to face her, a sad smile on his face. “I care about you, Zoey. You already know that.”

“I know. And, I am here to give you some clarity that I should have given you before. I’ve wasted too much time already. First, you just sang to me. This one I actually know. ‘Brave’ by Josh Groban. You know how much my mom loves him. But that is obviously not what I brought you here to talk about.”

Max sat down beside her, angling his body towards hers on the bench, silently waiting for her to continue. 

“You ever had a dream that shook you for days afterwards? That changed the way you looked at the whole world?” Max nodded and Zoey braced herself against the bench and began. “Well, I had a dream last night that really shook me. Well, a nightmare really. It was today, but different. Something went wrong and…” She said softly. “We were meeting for lunch, and on your way, you were hit by a car that ran the red light at the crosswalk.” She started to get teary again as she spoke, her voice catching. “I watched the paramedics and the doctor’s and the nurses try to save you. Watched them fight for your life and prayed that God would bring you back. That he’d bring you back to me. He didn’t. I lost you. I watched you die in that ER.” Tears streamed down her face as she opened her heart to tell him what happened to her in her nightmare. 

He stared at her as he watched her cry and wished he could hold her close but he knew that she wasn’t done talking and if he held her now, she wouldn’t be able to finish. So instead, he took her hand, enveloping it in both of his, comforting her the only way he could while she tried to tell him what she experienced.

“I showed your siblings your apartment, and I had to write your eulogy. I spent 4 days in your apartment trying to figure out what to say. The night before your funeral, I found your brown jacket on the chair in your room, and under it was the journal I gave you the day I became team leader. I have never seen inside your journal, hell, I don’t even know if you’ve used it…but in the dream, you had. It took everything I had to look inside that journal, to invade your privacy like that. But, when I did, I found everything I have known for so long but refused to accept or acknowledge.” 

“Zoey, whatever you saw in the dream journal, it wasn’t real…you know that.” 

Zoey smiled and shook her head. “Max, I saw everything that I see every day with you. The little things you notice about everyone around you. The way you noticed when I was thinking about my mom and dad earlier. The tiny things you do, that you see others do, those are the things in the journal. Things that people overlook. Those are the things that make you who you are. Max, you have sacrificed everything for me, time and again and I treated you horribly for it. It took a nightmare to get me to admit to myself what I want out of my life.”

Max sat there silent, the wheels in his head spinning. _I don’t understand. What is it she wants? she can’t…_ His thoughts trailed off as she began to speak again. 

“Max, the eulogy I wrote for you, it was beautiful. It was an encapsulation of everything you are. But it was just short of perfect, because it was filled with MY regrets. And I don’t want any regrets, Max. My biggest regret, was that I hadn’t had the chance to tell you the truth.”

“The truth?” Max whispered.

“The truth about how I felt about you. The truth I have been hiding from since the day I met you here at SPRQPoint. First, I was scared of losing a friend. Then, I was terrified of losing you while losing my father. I didn’t want to risk it. And that, while valid, is what regrets are made of. I asked my mom once, if she would change her decision to choose my father if she knew back then what would happen. She said no, because even one of the good moments with him, is worth more than all of the bad ones combined.”

Max was practically holding his breath; he was breathing so shallow. Waiting for the next phrase. Waiting for anything to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt what he was hoping. 

“Max, I love how you play the piano to calm down after a busy day at work. I love how you don’t ever give up on your photography, even though it doesn’t always turn out. I love how I can watch the wheels spinning in your head as you try to come up with an answer to a problem. I love how you are with my family. I love how you treat me, even if you are hurting. But most of all, I just…I just love YOU. You are EVERYTHING to me. I don’t want Simon, I don’t want space. I want YOU. And I am so sorry it has taken me this long to admit it to myself, let alone you.”

Max sat, frozen in his place. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was all a dream, right? This couldn’t be real… Zoey loved him? Zoey…loved him. He heard his name as if from a distance but he knew she was beside him. He blinked and looked at her. Her bright blue eyes searching his for recognition, for an answer. Zoey LOVED HIM!

His heart leaped and he reached his right hand out to brush a piece of hair behind her ear. She leaned into his touch and he held the side of her face gently in his hand. Her left hand came up to caress his hand as it cradled her face. Her next move, he didn’t expect. She pulled his hand forward as she turned her head to kiss his palm as his fingers rested against her cheek. The movement was so simple, so pure, his heart felt like it would burst. He cradled her head and slowly brushed his lips against hers. He felt no hesitation as she immediately began to kiss him back. Soft and sweet. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers as he tried to catch his breath and process this new reality. 

Zoey held her head against his, longing for his touch. “I’m sorry it took me so long.” She whispered. 

  
Max took her face gently in both hands and kissed her with such fervor, she thought she had to still be dreaming. But she knew she wasn’t. She didn’t hesitate to return the gesture. Her tongue touched his lower lip requesting entry, and he obliged. As he deepened the kiss, Max pulled Zoey as close to him as humanly possible, feeling the way that her body seemed as if it was molded for him alone. Zoey’s hands ran up Max’s chest, searching for purchase. She found it in the lapels of his sports jacket that he wore for his new badge photo. As they both stopped to catch their breath, she chuckled lightly.

Max pulled his head back so he could see Zoey’s face as he held her against him. “What are you laughing about?” He says, a smile in his voice. 

“Your old badge photo. Please tell me that you got to keep the old one, cause even though we may like this particular photo more, there are some good memories attached to the old Max….” She winked at him and he smiled slyly. 

He peeled his arm away from her and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the old badge with a smirk. 

“Thank god.” She said with a mock sigh. “Some days, I need Babyface Max in my life.” 

Chuckling at the old nickname, he put the badge back in his pocket. He took her hand and intermingled their fingers. He brought her hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it, and she smiled. A real, genuine smile. No hesitation, no fear. Just pure joy. And he was sure his smile matched. Zoey’s stomach growled, bringing them back to the present. 

“Lunch?” He asked. 

“Lunch.”

* * *

When they finished their sandwiches, their lunch was certainly pushing its time limit. 

“Crap.” Zoey cursed. 

“What is it?” Max asked, threading his fingers through hers as they made their way through the garden towards the entrance. 

“I forgot to tell you that I asked Joan for an extended lunch and I need to stay late tonight. I didn’t mention you to her but I’m sure she has noticed you aren’t at your desk.”

Max stopped in his tracks and pulled Zoey to him. “I would do anything to work with you a little longer. After today, there is only tomorrow left. This 6th floor thing was initially a way to get some space between us. Get some clarity. Which we obviously no longer need. Buuut, now, there is a potential ‘HR issue’” He used air quotes for emphasis. “You are technically still my supervisor and the 6th floor promotion, makes us equals AND fixes the hierarchy issue in HR’s eyes. As much as I love working so close to you and seeing you across from me every day, I love YOU more. And if changing floors means I can love you, freely, without reproach by the boss, then I’m in! DrkPoint, here I come!”

Zoey smiled up at him and gripped his hand tighter. He turned and started their journey towards the elevator again. Holding hands until the elevator landed on 4, then, they let go and walked closely, letting their little fingers brush against each other occasionally as they returned to their desks.

* * *

Max sent Zoey a direct message on the computer, asking if she wanted to come over for movie night that night after they finish with work. She looks over at his hopeful gaze and nods with a smile. 

Max walked by her a short while later to refill their water bottles and she stopped him before he left. “By the way, we can’t go to that Thai place across the street for a while. Okay?”

Max, seeing the pain in her eyes, understood. The crosswalk. The Thai place. It was all coming together. He crouched before her. He nodded and smiled softly. “I only went there because you liked it. I don’t have to go unless you do. There are plenty of other places and I plan on having lunch with you every day once I move to the 6th floor. My lunch hour is mine, and I will do what I want with it. Even if it means cavorting with 4th floor staff.” He winked at her and she smiled. He lightly patted her knee, letting it linger a little longer than it should. A promise for the future. 

Zoey watched Max as he walked out of sight and sighed. _God, I love him._

Max turned the corner to the fountain and stopped, leaning against the wall. The pain in her eyes when she mentioned the restaurant, it was so real. That nightmare really had an effect on her. Obviously or they wouldn’t be where they are now. She was bound to have some mental trauma after 5 days of a nightmare. He would help her navigate it all. He finally had what he had wanted for so long and he wasn’t about to let a nightmare get in the way of Zoey's and His happiness together. 

He filled the water bottles and turned the corner to the bullpen. He watched Zoey working away at her computer, her brow scrunched up as she deletes the whole line of faulty code. He came up beside her and placed the water bottle on her desk. She moved to take it and their fingers brush. She looked up at him with a wide, bright smile. As he moved to sit at his desk and look over at her, she was still smiling at him. _God, I love her._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The heartsong in this fic is "May I" by Trading Yesterday. '  
> I recommend listening to it when the heartsong starts cause....yeah.

Work went by in a blur. With Max’s help, the code for the Chirp was moving quickly. She was sad he would be leaving her team but knew that it would be better for both of them in the long run. They could be something more. They didn’t have to worry about work policies about coworkers dating, they didn’t have to worry about favoritism, even though he was already her favorite. And everyone already knew it but couldn’t do anything about it unless policy was violated….and so they pretended. Pretended like everything was the same. Pretended like they were just the close friends that they still were, but not the something more that had developed with their lunch on the roof. 

5pm came and went, Leif and Tobin left, the other coders slowly followed, and Max and Zoey kept working. It was 6:30 and they were the only ones left on the floor. Max stood with his laptop and pulled up a chair directly to the right of Zoey. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he set the laptop on the corner of her desk, out of the way so she could work, and sat down, his leg touching hers and his arm brushing across hers. He picked up the laptop, set it on his thighs and continued working. Zoey looked over at him, shocked but pleased at his actions. He sat there, typing away at the lines of code, with a smirk on his face. His eyes were full of mischief. He lifted one hand off the keyboard as he scrolled up to review his code to confirm that it was complete and rested it on Zoey’s opposite shoulder. 

She shivered under his touch as he started to rub small circles over her shirt. She looked at the hand on her shoulder and then back at Max. He was almost at the end of his code and she had almost finished reviewing hers before he sat down beside her. With him this close to her, radiating body heat, she knew she wouldn’t finish it tonight. He finished his review and looked at her with a playful smile. 

“You done?” he asked lightly.

“I was done when you came over here. I find you far too distracting to be productive.” She responded with a shy smile.

“Mission accomplished then.” Max stated matter-of-factly and followed it with a wink. 

Zoey felt herself melt and knew that if she had been standing, she would have buckled. She feels her cheeks flush and turns her face from his slightly to hide her embarrassment. He reaches out his hand and gently turns her face back to him. He leans in and gently kisses her. She kisses him back, softly, simply. He pulls away and rests his hand on her cheek, stroking her blush.

“Wanna get out of here? We still have movie night to get to if you are up for it.”

Zoey nods eagerly and stands unsteadily, a little weak in the knees. Max sees and steadies her. “You ok, Zo?”

“I’m fine. Just been sitting too long is all.” She says. _Yep, that’s all!_ _It has nothing to do with the fact that you can turn my legs to jelly with a wink._

Max nodded in understanding and gathers his jacket and bag. 

He meets her at her desk, takes her hand and they walk to the elevator together, laughing, smiling and lightly leaning on each other the whole way. 

* * *

Simon watched the display from his desk in his office. He smiled sadly to himself. Zoey deserved to be happy and he knew Max was a good fit for her. He and Jessica were on the rocks and the wedding was off, but they were still together. He missed their relationship, and he knew he had messed up. Seeing Max and Zoey together only strengthened his resolve. He needed to FIX things with Jessica. He packed up his briefcase and made his way out of the office a short time later. Determined to make things right, whatever it took.

* * *

Zoey ran home to grab a couple of movies and shower. She had been so shaken by the dream last night that she didn’t shower this morning and she was definitely feeling like she needed it. She and Max had agreed to meet as his place at 8pm. She got out of the shower and picked a comfortable but flattering pair of black leggings and a maroon long sleeved shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded. Comfortable, but still attractive. She hoped. 

She gathered the movies, ate a quick dinner and left her apartment; hearing Mo’s cheerful voice and Eddies laugh through the door on the landing. 

She exited the elevator at Max’s apartment building and approached his door. She heard the piano playing lightly through it but couldn’t quite identify the song. She knocked on the door and hear the piano stop. A moment later the door opened. Max stood on the other side of it, a wide smile placed firmly on his face. 

* * *

A knock on the door pulled Max away from his evening’s musical diversion. He stood from the bench at the black piano and made his way to the door, smiling in anticipation. He opened it to see Zoey standing nervously on the other side. He motions for her to come in and she does. She is holding a handful of movies and is shifting them nervously in her hands. He takes them from her and sets them on the sleek kitchen island. Oliver runs out of the bedroom and meows in greeting. She bends down to pick up the cat and Max finds his eyes wandering over Zoey’s petite form. _Damn. Those leggings. Is she TRYING to kill me?_ Zoey stood up with the cat in her arms and he reaches over and strokes Ollie’s head. Zoey looks up at him, nervous energy radiating off her and a slight sadness in her eyes. 

“Zo, are you ok? You seem a little shaken?”

She nodded slightly. “I just…it feels like the last time I was here was the night after the funeral. In the nightmare. It just…seemed so real.”

Max nodded and took the ginger cat out of her arms and set him on the ground. He took Zoey in his arms and held her close. “I’m right here. I’m here.” He whispered in her ear. He ran his hands over her back trying to soothe her. 

Zoey held their embrace for a time and then slightly pulled back, looking into his eyes. He saw the nervous energy begin to resolve and joy begin to replace the sadness. He leaned his head down and pulled her into a kiss. She kissed him back, reaching her hand up and tangling her fingers in his hair as she pulled him close. Zoey places her forehead on his shoulder and breathes hard. 

“I think we have a movie to watch.” She giggles. “Not that I wouldn’t rather be doing this, but...”

Max knows what she means. She doesn’t want to ruin this. She needs to be best friends, as well as something more, and he needed that too. He takes her hand in his and kisses her knuckles as he leads her to the couch. He settles in the corner and she puts the movie in and sits beside him. He feels her lean into him heavily and he puts his arm around her and strokes smooth circles on her arm. He turns and places a light kiss to the top of her head and rests his cheek atop the spot he kissed. He spends most of the movie focused on his thoughts instead of the plot. The pain in her eyes at SPRQPoint and the sadness as she entered his apartment had made him realize just how jarring this nightmare had been. He had a dream like it once, but the effects didn’t last. He wondered how long this grief would stay and prayed that soon she would be at peace.

The credits of the movie rolled, and Zoey had dosed off on his chest. He tried not to wake her as he shifted to help make her more comfortable against him, but she raised her head and drowsily inquired as to the time. He looked at the clock over the fireplace and quietly informed her that it was almost 11. She stretched and yawned. 

He chuckled at her and kissed her head again. She gripped his hand tightly and stood. “I should be getting home. You know how I get with no sleep…It’s not pretty.”

“You are always pretty, Zo. No amount of sleep deprivation could change that.” He said simply. Truthfully. 

She pulled him in and placed a peck on his lips. “I’m leaving the movies here. I have a feeling that movie night is going to be more than once a week, and, I like your TV more than mine.” 

His smile turned to a playful smirk at that as he walked her to the door. “Well, it is bigger, and newer, the surround sound, and then there’s the fireplace, soooo…”

“Putting that trust fund to good use, huh?”

“Not for the TV. I spent my Christmas bonus on it, and you know the surround sound came with the apartment. My family doesn’t do gifts and I celebrate Hanukkah practically alone except for you.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “You are always welcome here. You know that.”

She looked up at him and nodded with a smile. He offered to walk her to her Lyft, but She bid him goodbye and he shut the door behind her as she left. He leaned back against the door and let himself smile. He felt like he hadn’t stopped smiling since their conversation at lunch. He was stepping away from the door and was walking towards the bedroom when there was a knock at the door. 

Confused, he answered it. Zoey stood there with tears pooling in her eyes. 

“Zo, What’s wrong? Are you alright?” He asked, his voice nervous and concerned as he pulled her inside. 

She wiped tears off her cheeks and tried to smile but it fell flat. She sat on a barstool at the island and rested her head in her hands, elbows on the counter. 

He pulled up the stool beside her. “Zoey, please. Tell me what’s wrong.” He pleaded. 

“I don’t want to go home.” She whispered. “I went to bed last night, thinking that I would never see my best friend again. That I had lost the man I loved, my world. That I would never have the chance to tell him how I felt. What if I wake up in the morning and you really are gone? What if this is all a dream? What if my mind is trying to save me from the heartbreak of losing you?” 

Max peeled Zoey’s hand from her face, and she looked up at him, tears streaking her makeup and pulling it down her face. _God, she’s even beautiful when she’s been crying._ He cradled her face in both hands and spoke softly. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m still here. I know that nightmare seemed so real. I know. I’ve had one before. I doubted things for days. It wasn’t nearly as traumatic as yours but, I understand. Zoey, I’m here.” 

He kissed her softly and rested his forehead on hers. “I’m here.” He whispered. 

They sat there for what felt like an eternity. Just being there. Knowing the other was there. Present. 

Max finally broke the silence. “Now, as for not wanting to go home, you know you are welcome to stay here. I’ll stay in the guest room.”

Zoey looked panicked. “Max, I…I don’t want to be alone tonight. Not at home, Not here. Can you stay with me? I just…I need to know you're there. “

Max swallows hard. He did NOT see that coming. “Uh, ya. Sure. We could do that. I mean, the bed is big enough…”

He rose from the island and they headed to the master bedroom. She hesitated when she saw the bed and looked around the room. He followed her gaze, which had frozen on the chair in the corner. On the chair was his brown jacket. She moved to the chair and lifted the jacket. Revealing the empty chair beneath it. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and lifted the jacket to her face and inhaled the scent. 

“Uh, Zo? You good? Looking for something?”

* * *

Max’s question pulled her from her memories. She nodded. “In my nightmare, I cried myself to sleep in my own bed for 3 nights. I came here every day, looking for something to inspire me, to put my feelings for you into words, but I couldn’t voice them. On Sunday night, the night before the funeral, I came here and finally came into this room. I had avoided it until then. This jacket was on this chair and the journal I gave you was underneath it. I fell asleep on this side of your bed with this jacket after I read it.” She sat on the side opposite of his. “And, after the funeral, I came back here and didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to let you go. I fell asleep on your side. The place you should have been. I just wanted to be close to you. Just one more time.”

She heard soft piano notes as she ended her explanation. She looked over at Max who was looking at her with so much love she thought she may burst. 

_There you stand  
Open heart open doors  
Full of life with a world  
That's wanting more  
But I can see  
When the lights start to fade  
The day is done  
And your smile has gone away_

_Let me raise you up  
Let me be your love_

He walked to her where she sat on his bed and sat beside her. He grasped her hands and continued his heartsong.

_May I hold you  
As you fall to sleep  
When the world is closing in  
And you can't breathe  
May I love you  
May I be your shield  
When no one can be found  
May I lay you down_

He looked at her in earnest and stroked her face as he sang to her. He pulled her upright and into his arms as the next verse began. 

_All I want is to keep you safe  
From the cold  
To give you all that your heart  
Needs the most_

_Let me raise you up  
Let me be your love_

Max held her impossibly close and sang quietly in her ear as he continued his display.

_May I hold you  
As you fall to sleep  
When the world is closing in  
And you can't breathe  
May I love you  
May I be your shield  
When no one can be found  
May I lay you down_

Max maneuvered Zoey to the chair and sat her down as he continued. He shed tears as the next part of his song brought him to his knees. 

_All that's made me  
Is all worth trading  
Just to have one moment with you  
So I will let go  
Of all that I know  
Knowing that you're here with me  
For your love is changing me_

Max slowly rose to his feet and pulled Zoey up from her perch on the chair and led her gently back to the bed to sit in her original place and crouched in front of her.

_May I hold you  
As you fall to sleep  
When the world is closing in  
And you can't breathe_

Max jumped to his feet and gracefully glided across the room as he voiced his emotions and his desire to protect her. 

_May I love you  
May I be your shield  
When no one can be found  
May I lay you down_

His maneuvers had brought him back to his place by the bedside table on his side of the bed and Zoey just watched him as he returned to the present. 

* * *

Zoey had a look on her face. Disbelief, love, a combination. But she was clearly not completely with him mentally. She finally looked at him and smiled. 

“Zoey, you zoned out for a minute.” He reached up to investigate why his face was wet. It came from his eyes. Tears. 

“What the...” He looked at her in disbelief. “I just sang to you. Didn’t I?

Zoey nodded.

He held his hand up, the wet remains of the tears glistening on his fingers. “This happen often?”

She shook her head. “Never. Typically, there is no evidence the song even happened.”

“So why now? Why with this song?” he wondered aloud. “What song did I sing?”

Zoey shrugged. “I have no idea. To all three questions.”

“Do you remember any lyrics?”

She nodded. She may never forget them. She sang part of the chorus softly back to him. 

_May I hold you  
As you fall to sleep  
When the world is closing in  
And you can't breathe_

Max knew the song. He played it on the piano often enough. It was a song he played when he felt like Zoey was struggling with her father’s illness and he couldn’t help her.

“I know it. ‘May I’ by Trading Yesterday. I sang it to you?”

“Yes.” Zoey said simply. 

Max nodded and went into the walk-in closet where she couldn’t see him. He looked over at the half-barren shelves on one side and shook his head. _Damnit Max. That song? Couldn’t have been something else? Couldn’t think of anything else?_ He turned, grabbed a t-shirt from his “Babyface Max” days, _I just HAD to use that to describe myself to Zoey when I added ‘keeping it lean for the ladies’ to my dating profile…_ and took it to Zoey. She thanked him for it, and he gathered what he needed and headed towards the bathroom.

“Max, I would love it.” Zoey said so softly that he almost didn’t hear her.

He froze, whirled around on his heel and rasped out one word. “What?”

Zoey stood and approached him slowly. She rested one hand gently on his chest and the other on his cheek. She raised herself onto her tiptoes and planted a small kiss to his lips. “I would love it if you held me as I fell asleep. It’s exactly what I need, especially tonight.”

A smile slowly grew across his face and he lowered his head and held the nape of her neck with his free hand. He kissed her deeply and she returned it equally. 

He completed his pilgrimage to the bathroom and changed into his sweatpants and a V-neck t-shirt. He normally slept shirtless and in only his boxers, but He was already going to have a hard-enough time with Zoey in the same bed, let alone if he was hardly clothed. 

He came back to his bedroom and found Zoey pulling back the blankets. His t-shirt drowning her small form. Her leggings and shirt from earlier folded neatly on the chair in the corner, his jacket lay across the back. “Need to use the bathroom?”

“I used the guest. Figured it was open, so why not?”

He chuckled and nodded. Zoey climbed into bed across from him and he swallowed hard. His shirt was long on her, but it still flashed her underwear as she climbed into bed. Pink. Lacy. Sitting high on her… _NOPE. NO MAX. Not tonight. Not like this. You’ll get there. But DAMN!_

Zoey looked at him and patted his side of the bed. He climbed in and they pulled the covers back. Zoey settled against him. Head on his shoulder and hand on his chest. His arm snaked around her and rested on the side of her torso. He drew circles on her ribcage with his fingers.

“Thank you, Max.” 

“Always, Zo.”

“Thanks for not thinking I’m crazy.”

“You aren’t. I get it. But just so you know, NOTHING could take me away from you. Don’t you think I would haunt you if I did leave before you?” He said with a smirk.

She looked up at him with a small smile. “I have no doubt.” 

He leaned his head down and captured her lips with his. She moaned into the kiss as her tongue greeted his. He could feel himself losing control and so he pulled back with a groan and rested his head on hers again. “Zo… Not like this.”

She nodded in acknowledgement.

She rested her head on his shoulder again and ran her hand over his chest. He could feel her drawing on his skin above the ‘v’ of his t-shirt. He smiled when he realized what it was. “I love you, too, Zoey.” He kissed the top of her head and put his head back against his pillow and closed his eyes. Content.

* * *

  
The next few days went by in a blur. The weekend came and went and Zoey and Max spent almost every waking hour together. Max moved to the 6th floor and all was well. He came and went from her desk when he wasn’t needed upstairs and she wore his brown jacket to work. There was no need to keep their relationship a secret. Everyone knew about it as they were dreadfully obvious. And everyone was happy about it. Tobin especially. Some of his comments were a little ‘on-the-nose’ but he was helpful and stepped up to take up the slack. 

Zoey could honestly say, she had never been happier. But, she hadn’t told her family yet. They would be happy for her. Hell, they’d be overjoyed, but telling them came with more changes and more pressure. That would be a whole other emotional journey, but she was happy that Max would be the one beside her for it. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The heartsong in this chapter is "Say Anything" by Ashley Nite.  
> I would sincerely recommend listening to it while it is sung.

Thursday, April 23, 2020 

Zoey didn’t want to open her eyes. She wanted to lay there and stay numb to the world around her, but she had to get up. She had to get back to what shards of her life remained. Bereavement leave was reserved for the loss of immediate family, not your best friend. It was a cruel joke of fate to send her a dream like the one she just woke from. Max was gone. He wasn’t coming back. They would never be together, and He wasn’t haunting her, as much as she wished he was still there, somehow. 

She slowly sat up and looked at her phone. It had been one week since the accident. One week since she lost everything that she never realized she had hoped for. She moved over to her dresser and pulled out her clothes for the day. She finished getting dressed and took a deep breath, looking at her red eyes in her bathroom mirror. She splashed some cold water on her face and looked around her bedroom. She spotted what she was looking for. Max’s brown jacket. She gathered it to her face like she had done so often lately. It still smelled like him. She took comfort in the scent and left for her first day back at work in a week. 

* * *

She arrived to work and exited the elevator. The bullpen felt cold and lonely and she couldn’t completely place it, until she sat down and looked at Max’s desk across from hers. Completely bare. None of the knickknacks he kept on his desk remained. No evidence he had ever been there to begin with. As if he had been wiped from the memory of SPRQPoint. Tears started to fill her eyes and she tried desperately to wipe them away. She pulled the jacket around her, not minding that it basically drowned her when she wore it, it had become almost a security blanket. It helped her feel like Max was with her. 

She heard steps and looked up to Tobin looking at her with concern evident on his face. “Zoey, are you ok?”

She shook her head and let out a small sob. 

“Zoey, let’s get you to the meditation room.” She heard Tobin quietly talk to another coder who promptly left, headed towards Joan’s office, but she couldn’t quite make out what he said. 

Tobin led Zoey to the quiet room and saw Simon was already there and had lit the candles. She was crying uncontrollably at this point and Tobin tried to comfort her, rubbing her back and looking up at Simon with helplessness in his eyes.

“Zoey, Is it about Max?” Simon asked softly.

She let out a loud sob of despair and heard music notes start to play in the background. She could feel it start to bubble up in her chest. She had to let it out. She opened her mouth and it all started pouring out of her. 

_If no one ever asked me again_ _  
About us I'd be okay  
It's like stepping out of the haze  
Getting pushed right back in  
I know you have the best intentions  
Why'd you have to go and mention him?_

She stood and put her hands to either side of her head as tears continued down her cheeks and moved to the meditation stool and sat down. 

_It's just like salt poured on a wound_ _  
Every word keeps cuttin' through  
Say something stupid, something distracting  
Or leave it alone and don't say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say_

Zoey waved her hand in front of the candle, casting shadows and stared at them. 

_Every shadow passing me by_ _  
I imagine his outline  
And when I go to reach for his hand  
I lose my mind  
I'm already haunted inside  
I don't need to be reminded_

She stared directly and Tobin and Simon as she sang the next chorus, letting her emotions rule her. 

_It's just like salt poured on a wound_ _  
Every word keeps cuttin' through  
It's just like salt poured on a wound  
Every word keeps cuttin' through  
Say something stupid, something distracting  
Or leave it alone and don't say anything_

She stood and pleaded with the men before her. _  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Are you doing okay  
Are you gonna be all right_

She fell to her knees in the corner, her back to the room and stared straight into the flames of the candle and continued softly. 

_It's just like salt poured on a wound_ _  
Every word keeps cuttin' through  
Say something stupid, something distracting  
Or leave it alone and don't say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Anything  
Anything  
Ooh, say anything_

As she finished the song she sobbed. Sobbed for the love she never knew she had. For the hope she’d lost. For the moments she could never get back. She didn’t notice she now had a hand resting on her back and had had it there since she fell to her knees in the corner, rubbing slow circles until another hand came around her and turned her head, bringing her face to face with the owner.

“Zoey, I’m here. I’m right here.” His brown eyes pierced hers with a love so profound, she heard the silence shatter. She let out a gasp and took his face in her hands, examining him. Making sure he truly was there with her. Max turned his head to nod to the two men standing behind him. “Thanks guys. I’ve got it from here.”

They nodded in return and quietly left the room.

“You’re alive? But…”

“Zo, the accident was a nightmare. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here.” He pulled rested his forehead against hers, letting her feel his presence. He pulled them upright and pulled her body tightly against his. “I’m right here.” He whispered in her ear. 

* * *

Max smiled to himself as he sat at his desk. He had spent the last week with Zoey and things were great. She could hardly keep her hands off of him, she had to always be touching him in some way. She held his hand, she brushed her arm against his, his hand in the small of her back, his arm around her shoulder. Zoey had slept at his place most of the weekend. They had taken things slow and still hadn’t taken _that_ step yet. He wanted to solidify what they had first, and she did too. 

They had lunch together every day. Never at the Thai place. He had a feeling that place was FOREVER forbidden to them. Zoey had even invited him come over for family game night tonight and he was excited to go. They had decided to finally tell her family about them. It was only right. Mitch didn’t have long left and he owed it to her father to tell him and have a talk about if the future brought something more for them. 

He had been at his desk for maybe 20 minutes when he heard heels trot up behind him. He turned and saw…Joan? _What is she doing up here?_

“Joan?”

“Max, something is wrong with Zoey. She needs you, NOW!” Joan said as she tried to catch her breath. 

Max felt his heart stop and fall deep inside him. He was on his feet and running to the stairs before he could register it was even happening. _Stairs are faster than the elevator. Zoey._

Max came careening out of the stairwell looking for the familiar flames of Zoey’s red hair. Leif pointed to the meditation room and Max ran towards it, slowing when he heard a melody coming from Zoey. 

_Don't say, don't say_

_Are you doing okay_ _  
Are you gonna be all right_

He opened the door to the room as Zoey whirled around and fell to her knees in the corner, staring at the candle before her. He moved forward quickly and fell to his knees to the left of but slightly behind her, due to her angle against the wall. He rested his hand on her back and drew soothing circles but she didn’t seem to notice. The next words out of her mouth came softly, with cracking vocals and tears, but it was beautiful and heartbreaking and still pierced him to the core. 

_It's just like salt poured on a wound_ _  
Every word keeps cuttin' through  
Say something stupid, something distracting  
Or leave it alone and don't say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Don't say, don't say  
Say anything  
Anything  
Anything  
Ooh, say anything_

Max continued to draw circles on her back and waited as she sobbed. He slowly reached his other hand around her as he continued to keep his right hand on her back, maintaining contact. He cradled her cheek with his left hand and turned her head gently to face him. Her eyes slowly met his and she stared at him glassily. 

“Zoey, I’m here. I’m right here.” She let out a gasp and took his face in her hands, looking at him carefully, with disbelief. Max turned his head to nod to the two men standing behind him. “Thanks guys. I’ve got it from here.”

They nodded in return and quietly left the room.

“You’re alive? But…”

 _There it is…_ Recognition of the situation clicked in his head like a key in a lock. “Zo, the accident was the nightmare. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here.” He pulled rested his forehead against hers, letting her feel his presence. He pulled them upright and pulled her body tightly against his. “I’m right here.” He whispered in her ear. He held her there, and she clung to him like he was the mast of a ship in a storm, as if she felt if she let go, she would lose herself. 


	5. Chapter 5

It was almost 15 minutes before Zoey let go of Max, seated in the corner of the meditation room. She pulled back from him and stroked his face. His eyes were red as he had been crying with her. For her. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, slanting her mouth against his. She rested her forehead against his and took a deep breath. 

“I woke up and thought that all we have had this last week was a dream. That you were still dead and I had to live without you. I don’t know what happened!”

Max nodded. “I figured that out when you exclaimed that I was ‘alive’. I am so sorry you went through that Zoey. I wish I could have been here to help sooner.” 

Zoey shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I just have to find a way to remember that this is real and the nightmare wasn’t. I don’t know why but when I woke up, my first thought was that you were gone, and it spiraled from there when I had no way to prove it wrong.”

Max kissed her forehead. “We’ll figure something out. These dreams won’t last forever. I promise.”

Zoey sighed against him. “I need to get to work. Joan will be missing me.”

“Joan is the one who came and got me from 6. She already knows. I’ll go talk to her. We’re done with work today…Stay here for a minute. I’m coming right back.” Max said and gave Zoey a peck on the lips before exiting the meditation room. 

* * *

Max made his way out of the meditation room and ran headlong into Tobin and Simon. “Is she ok?” Tobin asked. 

Max nodded in response. “She will be…her dad is getting worse and she’s having a rough time. I’m going to take her home.” 

Tobin and Simon nodded sympathetically. “Let us know if we can help with anything.”

Max thanked them and continued his journey to Joan’s office, checking his phone as he went. There was a text from Ava. 

09:45 – Joan told me about Zoey and her father. Take the day. Keep me posted if you need to take more time. 

He sent a quick thank you text to Ava and entered Joan’s office. 

Joan looked up at him with concern. “How is Zoey?” 

He shook his head. “Not great right now but she’ll be ok. Her dad is getting worse. I was hoping I could take her home for the day.” 

Joan nodded. “She won’t be much help here today with how she is feeling. I spoke with Ava and she said she would give you the day. Did she reach out?”

“She did. Thank you for that. I’ll keep you posted as well. I’m not sure how things will go.”

Max exited Joan’s office and found Tobin at Zoey’s desk with Max’s work-bag from upstairs. “Thanks, Tobin. I appreciate it.”

“No worries, Maxi Pad. Take care of her.”

“Always.” 

Max gathered Zoey’s belongings and went to the meditation room. She sat on one of the stools and looked up at him as he entered. 

“Let’s get out of here, Sweetheart.” 

“Sweetheart?” she asked softly, smiling widely. 

“Sweetheart.” He confirmed with a grin. 

* * *

They made it back to Zoey’s building around 10:30 after their eventful morning. They opened the door to the apartment and heard Mo’s door open behind them. 

“Zoey, Max? What are you doing home?” 

Zoey turns to face him, and Mo sees her red eyes and slowly shakes her head at her friend. Max waves Zoey inside and pauses to talk to Mo. “It’s a long story, but she’ll be ok.”

“This better not have been you.” Mo said. “We’re gonna have a problem if it was.”

“I promise, Mo. You know me. I would never do anything to hurt her. It was NOT me.” 

Mo accepted that he wouldn’t be told the whole story right now but knew that Max would take care of her. “I expect a talk with you later after I get some sleep.” 

Max agreed and went into the apartment after Zoey. 

Max looked around and finally found Zoey in bed, curled up under the covers facing away from him. He went to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers back and crawled in beside her. He turned to the side and stroked her face. “You ok, love?”

She smiled softly at him. “I’m getting there.” And leaned in to kiss him. 

He pulled her close and she let him cradle her close to him, Letting herself feel safe and protected in the strength of his arms. Letting herself feel loved. 

* * *

Zoey and Max spent the rest of the day together in her apartment. He was taking selfies with her like crazy and she didn’t get it. He liked to document things through photography, but this was something totally different. He used her phone to take the pictures and sent them to his. He changed her background to a photo of them together, smiling, her hand on his chest. It didn’t seem forced, but it certainly was happening more than normal. After several hours of this, she realized what he was doing. He was gathering proof. Proof that this was real, so that if she ever woke up feeling like this wasn’t real again, she could look, and see that it was. 

She asked him if that was his reasoning and he blushed and cast his eyes down, shuffling his feet, mumbling something she didn’t understand. 

Zoey stepped in front of him and reached her hand up to cradle his cheek and he leaned into her touch. She guided his face to look at her. “Max, are you doing this to help me? Doing this so I know you are real, that you're still with me?”

He nodded. “I know that I can’t always be with you. Work and life don’t allow for me to be by your side every moment of every day, even though I would give anything to be. I want to be there for you. I want you to know that I am here. That you are loved.” 

Zoey stroked his cheek and stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips with her own. She captured them softly and drew him in. He brushed his tongue across her lips, and she parted them, moaning into the kiss. He pulled her closer and wrapped his strong arms around her, supporting her, as she started to get weak in the knees. He started to kiss down her neck, finding her pulse point and sucking lightly on it. He swept one of his arms under her knees and picked her up, never breaking the kiss, he maneuvered their way to the bed.. He gently laid her down and continued his kisses as he climbed beside her, and then slowly hovered over her, kissing her neck. She ran her hands down his shirt and slowly unbuttoned it, running her hands up over his bare chest. He pulled back for a moment to shed his shirt and help her with hers as his fingers trailed over her abdomen. Zoey, taking advantage, guided him onto his back and settled with her hips on his and ran her hands over his chest and kissed him deeply, feeling him moan and breathe into her mouth. She could feel how much he wanted her and she wanted him too. 

She couldn’t deny it any longer. Max did everything he could to help her, he cared about her well-being and he truly did love her. She knew that. And she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she wanted him too. She wanted this. 

“I love you, Max.” She breathed against his lips. 

“I love you, Zoey.” He returned in kind. 

Max rested his hands on her hips and raised his head off the pillow as she continued to kiss him. 

“Max, I want you.” 

He pushed his head back onto the pillow to pull away slightly, too look her in the eyes. “Are you sure?”

Zoey nodded, her eyes dark with desire, matching his own. “Yes... I want this.”

Max smiled and took control, flipping them over so her back was on the bed. He bent his head down and kissed her fervently, eliciting a moan as he ran his fingers over her skin. They had all the time in the world, and he was determined to show her just how much he loved her. 

* * *

  
  


Max lay on his back in Zoey’s bed, his fingers stroking her fiery hair spread over his bare chest as she lay against him. He never thought he could be this happy. But here he was, living a life he had once thought impossible. He had convinced himself that Zoey would never fully return his feelings. He glanced down at her, dozing off on his chest. Her fingers had been writing on his abdomen moments before but had stilled as she slept. He regretted that he would have to wake her soon to attend her family’s game night, though he did look forward to seeing them. She had seen them on her own everyday over the last week, but didn’t want to break the news of the two of them yet. He understood. He knows what he wants, and he knows it will take time to get there. He needs to talk to Mitch tonight though before it’s too late. He thought back to a moment about 8 months ago.

_Mitch had just been diagnosed with PSP. He was starting to have speech problems and his balance was getting worse. He could still talk but it took him some time to get the words out._

_They were having a barbecue for Mitch’s birthday and Max was there. Mitch and Maggie had insisted that he was part of the family, making him feel welcome. And the extra time spent with Zoey was a plus so he was happy to be there._

_Maggie and Zoey were inside preparing dessert so Mitch enlisted Max’s help to grill the steaks. Max did most of the grilling as Mitch gave him some more pointers. Mitch had started to develop a tremor, so it was difficult for him to grill on his own. Mitch was explaining the marbling on the steaks when he suddenly turned, looked towards the door to make sure they were alone. He then spoke in a quiet voice to Max. “Max, I’ve seen how you are with Zoey. How you look at her. Are you in love with my daughter?”_

_Max was taken aback by the question, he blinked nervously and tried to speak but couldn’t produce words. It took him a moment to recover, but when he did, he nodded slightly. His cheeks flushed,“I think I am, Mr. Clarke.”_

_Mitch shook his head. “First, I’ve told you a dozen times to call me Mitch. You better start, kid. Next, Good.”_

_Max raised his eyebrows. “Good?”_

_“Yes. You are practically like another son to me. You’re a member of this family! If she ever wises up, which I hope she will, and she returns your feelings, just know, you already have mine and Maggie’s support. I would love to have you as an official member of this family.”_

_“Mr. Cla..I mean, Mitch. She doesn’t feel the same about me. I’m just her friend.”_

_“For now…Max, the best relationships, the best marriages, come out of being friends first. It creates a different level of intimacy and trust. Love through good, bad, and ugly. And I see that for the two of you. So, when the time comes, even if it’s after I’m gone, know that you have my blessing..”_

_Mitch clapped Max on the shoulder and they went back to cooking the steak. A couple of the steaks had gotten a little scorched in the course of the conversation, something which Zoey had teased Max about relentlessly._ _He risked a glance at Mitch from across the table, and saw him watching them with a wide smile and a knowing glint in his eye._

Max shook his head slightly to bring himself back to the present and glanced down at the woman in his arms. Mitch had been right. He almost always was and he would find out just how right he was at game night tonight.

He looked at the clock and saw that they had about an hour before they needed to leave for game night. Zoey rolled off of him and faced away, still sleeping. Max took advantage of this to go to Zoey’s desk and plug in his laptop to the printer. He found some photo paper, vowing to replace what he used, and continued with his plan. 

* * *

Zoey woke up about 40 minutes before they needed to leave to an empty bed. . She heard rustling in the other room and sat up. She went to her closet and quickly dressed for the evening. She turned to look at herself in the mirror and tears filled her eyes. Taped meticulously to the mirror was one of the pictures that Max had taken of the two of them earlier that day, with a note written on the border below it. **I love you, Sweetheart.**

She touched the picture lightly and went to the bathroom, where the mirror also had a picture and a note. **I can’t get enough of you, Zoey.** She laughed lightly at his sweet gesture and made her way to the living room, where she found him taping yet another picture to the mirror on the wall. She crept up behind him to read the caption. **You are everything to me, Zo.**

“Soooo, this was your plan all along?” She asked him a playful smirk planted on her face. Max spun around, the tape in his hand narrowly missing her. “Careful there, Jimmy Olsen.”

He looked at her with a slightly confused look for a moment before it dawned on him. “Oh yeah. Photographer. Got it.” He said sheepishly. “It took me far too long for that to make sense to me.”

Zoey nodded and brought him down for a kiss. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Hopefully it helps. I don’t like seeing you sad.”

“Well, this has made me very happy.” 

Max grinned at her and kissed the top of her head. 

* * *

The pair pulled in front of the Clarkes house a short time later in Max’s silver Audi. Zoey reached for the door handle but he shook his head. “You don’t get to do that anymore. I tried for a long time to get you to let me open your door and you wouldn’t let me, but I get to open it now. God help me, Chivalry is NOT dead!” He quickly exited the car and came around to Zoey’s unopened door. She stepped out of the car, giggling at him. 

“Fine. You win.”

“FINALLY!” Max raised his fist in the air in celebration. 

He grabbed the games out of the back seat and they walked towards the door. 

Zoey unlocked the door with her key and entered. Max hesitated in the threshold and she reached out and tugged on the sleeve of his sports jacket. “Get in here.” She says playfully. “Don’t go getting formal on me now!” 

Maggie stepped out of the living room and met them in the entry. “Hey you two! Max, We are so glad you could make it!” 

“I wouldn’t miss it!” He said with a wide smile. 

The group entered the living room where Mitch, Howie, David and Emily were already waiting. They were welcomed with smiles and hugs. Emily was due in about a month and it showed. She was ready for it to be over. Mitch looked at Max with what smile he could muster. They started off by playing charades, Emily and David went first. Max sat in the corner of the couch and Zoey sat next to him. She surprised him when she leaned into him and took his arm, wrapped it around her waist, and placed her hand on his thigh. She turned her head to smile at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. She leaned her head back and he placed a kiss to her temple and then lay his head on the spot he kissed. For that 30 seconds, they were absorbed in their own little world until they looked up, waiting for David to start giving clues, only to find the entire room staring at them. They all sat in silence for a moment, Max drawing circles on Zoey’s ribs to calm her. 

“Soooo, how long has this been going on?” David asked. 

“One week. Started last thursday.” Zoey answered simply. 

The family was quiet again, and Zoey could see them trying to make sense of things, thoughts turning in their heads. 

“Ok, Emily. Pay up!” Maggie demands happily. 

Max and Zoey turn to each other with brows raised and then look at Emily, who was pulling out her purse. She pulls out a $50 bill and passes it to David, who reluctantly pulled out his wallet and added a $20 and then passed it to his mother. . Howie grabbed a $10 and tucked it into Mitch’s pocket. 

“Uh, you guys bet against us?” Zoey asked David, Emily and Howie.

“NO! Absolutely not! We knew you guys were inevitable. We just thought it would take you longer to figure it out…” Howie defended. 

Emily and David nodded hastily in agreement. Zoey scrunched up her eyebrows and looked at Max, who looked like he was in shock. Zoey squeezed his hand and watched as the haze cleared. “You ok, babe?”

Max nodded and a broad smile graced his face and he laughed quietly. “I’m good. It’s nice to know your family had such confidence in us.” 

They all laughed and then Emily and David proceeded to lose at charades. 

* * *

Emily and David wrapped up for the night and went home and Zoey went to help Maggie in the kitchen. Max pulled Howie aside and asked if he could have a moment alone with Mitch. When they were alone, Max sat beside Zoey’s father and smiled at him. “Hey, Mitch. I just wanted to talk to you about our conversation at your birthday last summer. Do You remember that?”

Mitch reached out and pushed the taboo buzzer once. 

“I just wanted you to know that you were right. Zoey loves me. You know how I feel about her. She is everything to me, and I know that we have a future. Do I have your blessing?”

Mitch’s eyes started to tear and he hit the taboo buzzer with one long note. 

Max’s eyes watered. “Thank you, Mitch. I’ll take care of her. You know that.” 

Mitch buzzed once more and then Maggie came back into the room, followed by Zoey and Howie. 

“You guys catching up?” Maggie asked cheerfully. 

“Yeah. It’s been great!”  
Mitch started coughing and Howie went to him. Zoey took Max’s hand as they watched the kind caregiver help her father. Mitch recovered and Howie helped him to bed. Maggie hugged both of them goodbye and they made their way back to Zoey’s. 

* * *

“That went well!” Zoey exclaimed.

“Yes, It did.” Max smiled, grasping Zoey around the waist and pulling her to him. “I love you, Zoey.”

“I love you too, Max.” 

Max pulled her in for a passionate kiss and then walked her into the apartment. As he left for the night, his smile was glued to his face. _I’m gonna marry that girl. I’ve already waited this long. I could wait for her forever._

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to LadyLillianRose for the help she gave me with this chapter, and for proofreading the mess I made while being horribly distracted by the gorgeousness that is Skylar Astin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must thank my friends in the discord group Zoey/Max Nation for helping me come up with some of these theories and head-canons regarding backstories and Max's family. There will be more to come regarding all of that, so this is just a taste of the beginning.  
> .  
> .  
> .

Zoey woke to the sun coming through her window, the rays hit her face and she scrunched her eyes. She reached for her phone and smiled at the picture of herself and Max on her lock screen, and noticed she had a new text. She unlocked her phone to read it.

Max: 06:45 – Good morning, beautiful. I can’t wait to see you. I love you, Zoey.

Zoey went to reply but decided to thank him in person. She sent a heart emoji in response and then got out of bed. Zoey’s grin remained firmly in place as she got ready and went to work. She walked into the lobby and Max stood there, waiting for her. “Good morning, Love.” He beamed and pulled her in for a kiss. 

  
“Good morning! Thank you for your text. It was just what I needed this morning.”

Max put his arms around her waist and intertwined his hands on her lower back. “Good. I’m glad. I just wanted to make sure you knew I loved you.”

“Well, it worked, and the pictures made me so happy this morning. Thank you, again. I feel bad, you’ve done so much for me and I haven’t done anything for you!”

“You told me how you feel. You chose me. That is all I could have ever wished for.” He said quietly and then lowered his head to kiss her again. “Now, we should get you to work. I’ve already talked to Joan; you are off at 1pm today. We have plans!”

“Wh...what?”

“You heard me. I have someone you’ve been wanting to meet.” He said with a wink. He led her to the elevator and walked her to her desk on the 4th floor. He kissed her goodbye and headed back to the 6th floor.

After watching him leave, Joan came out of her office with a smirk. “I can’t tell you how long I thought you were already dating until he started going out with that coffee shop girl. I was actually a little mad when I found out about that. I definitely lost some money in the office pool with that one.”

“Has EVERYONE been betting on us?! First my family and now you guys?”

Joan walked over to her desk and leaned up against it. “Oh, absolutely. Tobin won. It was settled last Thursday when you guys reserved the roof and then came back to work all lovey-dovey. Confirmation of course came from Simon who was still in his office when you and Max left together later that night. He caught your little kiss at the elevator.”

Zoey caught herself blushing at the revelations from Joan. 

“What does he have planned for you tonight? Because he was very persuasive in his request to let you off early.”

“I have no idea. He wouldn’t tell me. Something about meeting someone…”

“Well, I have no doubt it is going to be good. If you want my opinion, Hold onto him. He’s one of the good ones.”

Zoey found herself smiling. “He definitely is. Thank you, Joan.”

Joan shot her a wink and went back to her office. 

Zoey went back to work and did her best to focus, not sure how to go about what she had just been told. She turned on her true crime podcast and tried to get to coding, hoping to accomplish something before she left for the day. _Who the hell are we meeting tonight?!_

* * *

Upstairs, Max approached his desk, put his bag down and took a deep breath. Zoey would enjoy tonight. She may be a little shocked, but she would definitely enjoy it. Whenever he talked about his cousin, she always begged to meet him. Jesse had called Max last night around 11 and had gushed about how Beca had been wanting to visit San Francisco and that they were coming up from LA at the last minute. Max jumped at the opportunity. He hadn’t seen Jesse in almost a year and missed his closest relative. They weren’t arriving until around 5pm so that gave Max a few hours to spend some time with Zoey and let her adjust to the news. 

Max turned and walked towards Ava’s office. He had sent her an email last night regarding having family in from out of town and needing to leave early. She had said yes but he wanted to follow up with her. 

“Max, how is Zoey? Hopefully, she is doing better?”

“She is. Thank you for letting me help her yesterday. She has been having a hard time with her Dad getting sicker and He doesn’t have long left. The doctors think at most that he has a couple of weeks.”

“That’s so sad. I’m so sorry. Are you close with them?”

“Very. He’s practically a father to me. Also, thank you for letting me leave early to spend some time with my own family. I haven’t seen them in quite some time, and it means a lot to have the opportunity.” 

“Of course. You’ve been staying late every day this week, except yesterday of course, to get things moving and organizing your team. I must say, its working! They have been remarkably productive. I also saw that you completed an entire section of the code last night when you sent me that email. You’ve taken time for yourself but still made sure things are running smoothly. That is admirable. Your team can handle this afternoon. Enjoy the time with your family.”

Max went back to his desk and got to work. He wanted to work on another section of code, so he had a head start when he came back to it. Ava was doing what she could to make him feel valued but there was only so many days off he could take before she started to get mad, and he didn’t want to risk it. 

He took a small break around 10:30 to stretch his legs and go check on Zoey. He meandered down to her desk and found her hard at work with her headphones snugly in place. He moved to the front of her desk so that she could see him. She was typing away furiously and had a look of determination on her face. He slowly bent down, so his face was at eye level and when she looked at him, a smile graced her face and she took her headphones off.

“True crime?”

“You know it. I’m trying to get my mind off of who you want me to meet tonight.”

Max smirked. “Ok fine. I got a call last night after I left your place from Jesse-

“JESSE? Your cousin JESSE?” She spoke quietly but intensely, emphasizing the name. 

Max laughed lightly and his smile turned from mischievous to bright. “Yes. My cousin Jesse. He and Beca decided to take a last-minute trip to San Francisco. I haven’t seen them since I helped them move from New York to LA last year. They want to meet you and spend some time with us.”

“Of course I want to meet them! You’ve told me enough stories! It will be nice to see if his perspective matches yours.”

“See. I told you that you’ve been wanting to meet them.”

“It just sounded so ominous.”

“Feel better?”

Zoey nodded and her smile lit up her blue eyes. _God, I love her._

He gave her a small kiss over the desk and winked at her. “I’ll see you at 1:01. 

* * *

The elevator doors opened for Max to exit on the 4th floor and found that Zoey was there standing in front of the doors. “Going down?” he asked, formally.

“No, actually, I was going up. I wasn’t sure if we were meeting here or up there.”

“My bad! I should have been more specific. Sorry...”

“Don’t be. It’s ok. Could have been funny if we missed each other and were at each other’s empty desks.” Zoey said with a playful smile. 

He pulled her into the elevator and hit the button for the Lobby. It took the elevator a moment to change its mind about going back up, but they were too busy taking each other in. They heard the beep for the lobby and let each other go, trying to smooth their clothing and hair. Max succeeded in making his hair look purposefully messy with one swipe of his hand, but Zoey was a different story. He took a moment to brush her hair back behind her ear and tried to straighten out a couple of tangled locks. His hands were still in her hair when the doors opened. Zoey let out a laugh and grabbed his hand, kissed it and pulled him through the lobby and out the doors.

They were soon back at Zoey’s apartment and she was grabbing another outfit that was better for a stroll around the city. She came out of her closet to find Max in her kitchen making sandwiches. 

“Uh, where did you get stuff to make those?”

He shrugged. “I brought it to work with me. Kept it in the fridge and then on an icepack in my bag. I knew your fridge would be empty and we need lunch before we venture out.”

“Right. Cause my fridge never has anything useful in it.”

“Correct, unless I need lemon juice and moldy chow-mein, but I’m not in the mood for that right now.” He winked at her. 

There was a knock on the door and before Zoey could go answer it, Mo burst in, wearing his favorite house coat. “What the hell was happening yesterday?! I’m gone for a week with Eddie and I come back to Zoey crying her eyes out at her front door and YOU,” He says pointing a finger at Max, “were there. And now, you're here again! You’re together, aren’t you?! Y’all better spill!”

Max and Zoey looked at each other, sighed and Max pulled another plate out of the cupboard and set about making a third sandwich.

* * *

They all sat down at Zoey’s table and Zoey looked at Max, unsure. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Zoey took a deep breath and began. “Last Thursday, I had a dream. A Nightmare. In the nightmare…” She held Max’s hand tighter in her own and looked in his eyes. He looked sad but he nodded encouraging her to continue. “In the nightmare, Max died.”

“Uh, excuse me, What?!” Mo asked, his voice rising about an octave. 

“We were going to meet for lunch, but He was hit by a car that ran a red light at the crosswalk in front of work. I watched him die, Mo. I watched them try to save him and I watched him lay there, dead, in front of me. The worst part were his eyes. Staring. Empty.” Zoey choked up and tears started down her cheeks. Max reached his arm around her, pulled her close and placed a kiss on her temple. 

“I’m here, Love. I’m here.”

Zoey cleared her throat and continued. “After he died, I went to his apartment every day for 3 days, trying to figure out what to say in his eulogy, but I couldn’t find the right words. The day before the funeral, Sunday, I went to the apartment and finally went into his room. I found his jacket and the journal I gave him. It took me forever to open the journal. When I did, I was finally able to put my thoughts into words.”

She turned to Max. “I haven’t even told you this part yet.” She sighed, looking at the man she loved more than she ever thought possible.

“It’s ok, Zo. Take your time.”

She directed the next statement directly at the man beside her, holding her. “At the hospital, when they were trying to save you, one of the nurses pulled me aside to ask me some questions because I came with you. The first thing she asked me was if I was your wife. I, of course, told her no. But I had grown to realize throughout the days at your apartment and trying to deal with losing you, that I wished I could have told her yes. That question changed everything. I knew how much I missed you, but I hadn’t fully understood what it was that I regretted, what I wished I could have had.”

Max had tears on his cheeks as he gently cupped her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. Simple, pure, but somehow, still full of all the feeling he held for the woman before him. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. “Then, I’m glad she asked it.”

Zoey smiled softly at him and took a deep breath to continue. “After reading the journal and realizing how I truly felt, I fell asleep in Max’s bed. Mo, you brought me a dress for the funeral and we went together. I delivered the eulogy, where I declared my love for Max and voiced the regret of not telling him how I felt. Then you took me back to Max’s apartment, and I fell asleep in his bed, not wanting to let go of him yet. And then, I woke up back in my own bedroom the morning you left for your trip with Eddie. Thursday. I was terrified that it wasn’t a dream, so I called Max and he answered. I decided to tell him the truth about how I felt, and I did when we had lunch together on the roof.”

Mo was grinning at this point. “A nightmare made you realize what the rest of us had known all along?”

“I guess so…” Zoey shrugged. 

“As much as I LOVE a good ‘Origin of Love’ story, that doesn’t explain why you were crying in the hallway yesterday.”

“I woke up yesterday and thought that this last week had been the dream. That the nightmare was real, and Max was really gone. I went to work thinking he was dead and had a breakdown. I started sobbing in the bullpen when I saw his empty desk, and sweet Tobin took me to the meditation room. Unfortunately, Simon was there and asked me if it was about Max, so I started singing a heartsong. When it ended, Max was there and helped to calm me and brought me home. That is what you saw.”

“Damn Zo. I’m sorry. Some of bad dreams really stick with you, don’t they?”

Zoey nodded. “Max has been great through all of this. He’s the one that put up those pictures on all the mirrors. Proof that this is real. That it isn’t a dream and that we are together.”

“Well, It’s about DAMN TIME! You two know how long I’ve been waiting for this?! Eddie owes me 50 bucks! He thought it would take another 6 months for you two to finally act on all ‘this’!” At the last word, Mo gestured generally to the two of them. “Max, if you hurt my girl, they will never find you…”

“I won’t, Mo. Never.”

Mo nodded. “As great as all this is, the two of you were AWFULLY loud yesterday afternoon. Zoey, I never pictured you for a screamer! But I guess the quiet ones always are.” Mo shrugged. “The two of you are adorable and I have been Team Max for quite some time. Now, I am going to go and leave you both to it. I need my beauty rest before my gig tonight.”

Mo exited the apartment as abruptly as he entered, leaving Max and Zoey shocked at his final comments. “I guess we were kind of loud, weren’t we?” Zoey asked, slightly appalled at the news that their friend had heard them.

“Yes, YOU were, Love. But It was sooo HOT…” He said softly as he trailed his lips down to her neck and nibbled her earlobe.

“Babe, I would love to do this with you right now, but your cousin is coming, and we need to go get your apartment ready.”

Max groaned and nodded. “You're right. We can do this later.” He smirked with a dark look in his eyes, desire filling them.

Zoey pulled him in for a kiss and he pulled her closer. He moaned against her lips as she opened her mouth for him, and he rasped. “Do we have to wait for later?”

Zoey pulled her head back and looked at him with the same dark look. “Hell no. Just don’t blame the mess in your apartment on me.”

“Clara is coming over to clean today. It’ll be fine.”

Zoey chuckled. “I’m about to make love to you and you start talking about your cleaning lady. Would you rather be with her?”

“No, my love. You are the only girl for me. Forever.” He said earnestly, his lips brushing against hers as they shared breath.

Zoey smiled and kissed him. “Take me to bed, Max.” And he did.

* * *

Max and Zoey had their moment, not caring about any noise they may be making. They then made their way to Max’s apartment, wanting to make sure the guest room was ready. 

Jesse and Beca were driving in from LA and had left around 10:30 am. It was just before 5 pm when Max’s phone rang. He walked them through where to park and then buzzed them in. 

It was another 5 minutes before Zoey heard a knock at the door. Max, buzzing with excitement, practically bounced towards the door and opened it. _He’s so excited. I love seeing him like this!_

“MAX!”

“JESSE!”

A brown-haired man of Max’s height gave him a tight hug and moved into the room, allowing Max to greet Beca. 

Zoey was now able to get a good look at Max’s cousin. He looked A LOT like Max. Dark brown hair, chocolate-honey eyes, wide grin with dimples. Max’s facial bone structure was a little sharper and stronger, but that could have come with age. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she was looking at the Max from 5 years ago; ‘Baby-face Max’ as he had coined for himself after developing an affinity for lifting weights. Jesse was fit, Zoey could see that, but he was younger than Max and maybe still had a little aging to do. 

“You must be Zoey!! I’m so glad to FINALLY meet you!” He beamed, approaching her and wrapping her in a hug. She was pleased to note that as much as he looked like Max, he didn’t feel like Max. She smiled at him when he released her.

“It’s great to finally meet you too, Jesse! It’s about time!”

“I know! Been tough to get up here until now!”

A petite brunette made her way to Jesse’s side. She was just barely taller than Zoey with dark blue eyes and a sweet smile. “Zoey! I’ve heard so much about you! I’m happy to meet you! We have so much to talk about with these two!”

Zoey smiled back at her. “Yes, we do! We should just send them out to have guys night and we can stay in to get some time to ourselves.” She said with a wink.

“Zoey…” Max said warily.

“I’m just teasing, babe. We have so much to show you guys and I have so many questions about Max before I met him!”

“Actually, with us being here all weekend, a girls night sounds great at some point! We don’t head back until Monday morning.”

“Perfect!!” Zoey said excitedly.

Max and Jesse glanced at each other, sharing a look filled with concern and curiosity. They both cocked an eyebrow and turned back to their girlfriends.

Beca and Jesse put their bags in the guest room, and they all planned on where to go to dinner.

* * *

They went to dinner and walked around the city for a while, enjoying the different views of the bay. At the end of the night, they all went back to Max’s apartment for a movie and games.

After watching The Breakfast Club, Jesse asked Max if he could play the piano, which Max obliged. Jesse played a melody that he was working on for his most recent film project. He asked Max to play and Max sat at the bench of the elegant instrument. They spent the rest of the evening singing songs around the piano, listening to Beca remix with other songs and Jesse add extra melodies.

When Max's guests turned in for the night, Zoey picked up her things and got ready to go home. Max gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply. “You aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart.” She giggled at him in response and he carried her to his bedroom and shut the door behind him with his foot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Reviews feed my creativity :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to thank the Discord group again. ZOEY/MAX NATION, Y'all are the best!!! Thanks to LadyLillianRose and Jade4813 for giving me great feedback and troubleshooting ideas :). 
> 
> Now, On to the story!!!!

The next day consisted of showing Jesse and Beca the city in the daylight and taking them to brunch. In the evening, around 5, Beca urged Jesse and Max to take their long-needed Guys night out, and the girls would have their night-in. 

After practically pushing the boys out the door, Beca leaned up against it, feigning exhaustion. She then popped open her eyes with a wide smile and said, “Now that they are out of here, Let’s get down to business.” 

Zoey looked at Beca, perplexed. “Uh, business?”

“Yes! Business! You need to tell me how things are going with Max!” Beca insisted, beckoning Zoey over to the couch.

Zoey laughed, a little relieved, and followed the brunette. “Ok, what do you want to know?”

“Is he as good in the sack as Jesse is? Oh wait, your screaming last night already confirmed that.”

Zoey felt herself flush. _I really have to work on that…maybe I can bite a pillow. Nah, I’ll bite him._

“But really, Max has always been so good to Jesse. They’re cousins but he’s been like an older brother to him. He’s talked about you for ages. I’m so happy you two are together. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, Beca. It means a lot. I’m happy for you guys, too! Max was really sad when he heard you two broke up. Distance can be hard.”

“Yeah, it was. But we grew from it and it made us miss each other all the more.” 

Zoey nodded, she understood. It was a different kind of loss, but after her nightmare, she didn’t ever want to lose Max. Ever. In any way. 

“Do you want something to drink? Max has quite the shelf, and if you want wine, he has some good vintages…” Zoey stood, heading to the wet bar. 

“No, I actually am not drinking right now…”

Zoey nodded politely and then stopped mid stride as she turned around. “Are you….”

Beca nodded shyly. “I just found out yesterday. I haven’t even told Jesse yet… Just not sure of the right moment.” 

“Is there a right moment?” Zoey asked sincerely. 

Beca sat quietly for a moment, tapping a rhythm out on her legs. Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap, tap. “I guess not. Just, Jesse is a fan of big moments and I don’t know what to do. I want to tell him and make it special.” 

“Then let’s make it special! Let’s come up with something!”

They spent the next hour and a half coming up with ideas on how to break the news to Jesse. Beca told Zoey the whole story of how they met and got together. They made several phone calls and then set out to 2 different shops, gathering the supplies for their plot. 

* * *

Max and Jesse got home around 11. Zoey hid the gift in Max’s closet with Jesse’s name on it so Max wouldn’t snoop. They all sat up talking, laughing at old family memories and pranks. Superglue, Nair, itch powder, they had done it all. Their moms were identical twins and Zoey guessed that explained some of the similarities in appearance. Max sat on one side of the sectional in Max’s living room, Zoey tucked safely against him, held close by his strong arms. Jesse and Beca sat on the other side facing them, similarly positioned. Max buried his nose in Zoey’s hair, inhaling the lavender-mint scent of her shampoo. _How can something be so calming yet invigorating at the same time? God, I love her._

When Beca started to yawn, Jesse looked at her, amused but concerned. “You ok, babe?”

“I’m good, weirdo. Just tired. It’s been a busy couple of days.” 

Zoey smiled at her nickname for Jesse. Beca had told her everything about how they met and how she had been socially distant and a bit ‘scary’ for lack of a better term. Jesse had changed her for the better, but not because he wanted her to change, but because they both grew together. Zoey knew that Max had done the same for her. 

As Jesse pulled Beca off the couch, Zoey caught a look from the brunette. She had a mischievous glint in her eye and threw Zoey a wink. Zoey nodded slightly to the other girl and the other couple headed off to bed. Max chuckled at his cousin and his girlfriend. “Thanks for having me go out with him tonight. It was good to catch up.” 

“Absolutely, babe! He’s your family, and he is important to you! And Beca needed a girl’s night, so….” 

Max stood and took Zoey’s hand, pulling her gently off the couch. He spun her around and brought her in for a kiss and they stood there, swaying to the music in the background. He looked into her eyes in the light of the fireplace, his eyes full of warmth. “I love you, Zoey.” He whispered. 

Zoey leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you too, Max.” 

He reached a hand up and tilted her chin up towards him. He kissed her again, deep, causing her to moan into his mouth. They swayed there, sharing breaths until they were almost lightheaded. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. 

“Babe, if we are going to have any,” She cleared her throat softly,” fun tonight, We need to figure out how to be a little quieter….”

Max straightened up and looked at her. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked with a knowing grin.

“Ummmm, Beca asked me if you were as good as Jesse, and then said that she didn’t need me to tell her because my screams already had.” 

Max laughed heartily. “First of all, I’m better than Jesse. Second, who cares if anyone can hear us. I like making you squeal and scream. It’s extremely attractive…” He raised his eyebrows at her suggestively. 

“I know…. but, do we really want people to know, EVERY time?”

“Well, what would we do? I mean you could bite a pillow…”

“I could bite **_you_** ….” Zoey said with a smirk and a wink, pulled out of his arms gently and sashayed her way to the master bedroom. Max stood there, dumbfounded until her soft call of “Maaaaax…” permeated the quiet air of the apartment. Max flipped the switch to turn off the fireplace and moved quickly to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. 

* * *

Max woke the next morning with Zoey curled against him. _God, I’ll never get sick of waking up next to her like this_. He slowly got out of bed and went to shower. He stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his waist. He brushed his teeth and as he looked in the mirror, he noticed that Zoey had left some evidence of their busy night on his neck and shoulder. He ran his fingers over the marks and smiled. _Damn. She wasn’t kidding about trying to keep quiet, not that it worked as well as she thought. Though, I will definitely NOT be telling her that._ He entered the bedroom and saw that Zoey still lay sleeping. He went to the bed and sat on the edge, facing her. He reached his hand out and stroked her face softly. He wished he could let her sleep forever. He sighed then leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Zoey, Sweetheart, it’s time to wake up.”

Her eyelids flickered, slowly revealing her blue eyes. Her lips curled up in a drowsy smile. “You're all wet, and you're only wearing a towel…”. 

“Yes, that’s what happens when I take a shower.” He said with a teasing smile. _She’s so adorable when she’s sleepy._

“Your nipples…I’m staring at them again.” She says, her mind starting to clear as she wakes. 

“You can touch them if you want.” He says with a mischievous grin and a wink, flexing slightly. 

Her face flushed as her hand reached up to graze his chest. She giggled as he developed goosebumps and shivered under her touch. He stared intensely into her eyes, watching them darken. A pan clattered in the kitchen and broke their focus. Max shook his head to bring him out of the haze of desire that had begun to cloud his mind. He groaned, looking towards the door and Zoey’s hand traced down his chest and came to rest on his hand. 

“We should go out there, Babe.” Her soft voice broke through the silence. 

“I know. Is it bad that I just want to lay here in bed with you all day?”

“No, it isn’t. I want that, too, but, Beca has a surprise for Jesse that you won’t want to miss.”

“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows at her, “Is that what the gift bag in the closet is for?” 

Zoey nodded, glee filling her eyes, and quickly climbed out of bed, throwing on clothes and brushing her teeth. She looked over at him and said, “You may want to get dressed. Maybe something with a higher collar today, looks like you got a little something….” She motions to her neck, indicating the marks on his skin, as she moved to the chair in the corner, sitting down to wait for him. 

“Cover them?! They are my badge of honor!” He said in mock offense. 

Now it was Zoey’s turn to raise her eyebrows and smile at him. He dropped the towel and stood there while he stared at her with a smirk, then turned around to walk to the closet, allowing her to see absolutely EVERYTHING. 

Max chose a comfortable pair of jeans and a collared plaid button-up. He walked back to the bed with Zoey watching his every move, watching her face flush and placed the clothes on the bed. He slowly pulled on his boxers and watched her swallow hard. She continued to observe him, hyper-focused as he put on his pants and slowly shrugged into the shirt. She stood from the chair and moved towards him, reaching her hands up and slowly buttoning his shirt from the top down, letting her fingers graze his skin as she did. He groaned slightly as he felt her skin against his. “Zoey…” He breathed. “Do you even know what you do to me?”

Leaning into him and placing her mouth near his ear, she whispered, “I have an idea.”

She gave him a quick kiss, winked at him, and then walked to the closet and grabbed the gift bag for Jesse. She beckoned for Max to follow her as she opened the door to the bedroom and walked out the door. _I absolutely love that woman!_ He watched her from the bedroom doorway as she moved quickly to Beca, who was the only one in the kitchen and handed her the gift bag. 

Max stepped out of the doorway and approached the island. “Morning, Beca. Sleep well?”

“Yeah, thanks. Jesse is just getting dressed and I figured I could make breakfast.”

“Need a hand?” Zoey offered. 

“I wouldn’t mind it!” the brunette replied. 

“Uh, Beca…Maybe I should give you a hand. Zoey, you and I both know that cooking is not your forte.” 

Zoey laughed and nodded. “OK, OK! I am not very good in the kitchen. OHHH, Max, can you make latkes?!” She asked excitedly. 

Max couldn’t help but laugh in response. “Definitely. That sound ok, Beca?”

“Did someone say LATKES?!” Jesse’s voice sounds from the guest bedroom.

Beca rolls her eyes and laughs. “Latkes sound great. The Palmer Family recipe?”

Max gasps, feigning offense, bringing his hand to his chest. “You wound me! My family has used that recipe for generations, and you suggest that I would abandon it?! The mere thought of using another recipe is a betrayal!” 

“Jesse warned me that Palmer side of the family was defensive of their recipes, but I didn’t completely believe it…” She said, looking at Zoey. 

“Believe it…At least as far as Max is concerned.” The redhead smiled. Max was fairly close to his mom, Abigail, and they spoke often. He had told Zoey stories of how the Palmer sisters, His mom and Jesse’s mom, Elizabeth, taught them how to cook the traditional holiday dishes so important to their family. Max had made several of the dishes for the Chrismukkah celebrations that Maggie had insisted that Max attended as a member of their family.

Max was laughing as he pulled out the ingredients he needed. “Don’t worry, Beca. We are going to teach you how it all works. And by we, I mean Jesse and I. Not Zoey. I love you, Babe, but you really can’t cook.”

Zoey held her hands palms out in front of her. “I admit that. I am no chef.”

Max leaned over the corner of the island and gave her a peck on the lips and pulled back with a smile. “OK. Latkes!” 

* * *

A short time later, the latkes were done, and the group of them were sitting around the table, eating their breakfast. Beca presented Jesse with the gift bag with a smile and said, “This is just a little something that Zoey and I picked up last night while you boys were out. I saw it and thought of you.”

Jesse smiled at Beca and leaned in to give her a peck on the lips. Max glanced over at Zoey who he found to have a very excited look on her face as Jesse went to open the bag. He watched his cousin as he pulled out a card and a folded-up piece of fabric. As they had been raised, Jesse opened the card first and read it aloud. **_“You were right. I’m one of those acapella girls, You’re one of those acapella boys, and We ARE going to have aca-children!”_**

Jesse’s face held a slightly confused look as he unfolded the fabric, revealing it to be a newborn baby onesie. He laughed, raising an eyebrow and looking at the petite brunette sitting beside him. “Really?” He asked, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Beca nodded with a wide grin, her eyes starting to water. Jesse leaned over and pulled her into a tight embrace, locking their lips in a passionate kiss. Zoey looked at Max, her eyes tearing up as well. Max looked at Zoey and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. He glanced over at the onesie laid out on the table. It was white and had one word, written in maroon ink, the color of Jesse and Beca’s Alma Mater. **INEVITABLE**. 

Max’s mouth turned up in a smile recalling a night from nearly 8 years ago. _Jesse had called him drunk on the night he joined the Treblemakers at Barden University. He rambled for over an hour, not about the group, or the music, but about a girl. A beautiful brunette with a slightly scary ear spike and dark eyeliner. ‘She has the most beautiful blue eyes.’ Jesse had said. ‘We’re inevitable. I know it. I’m gonna marry her one day.’_ Even drunk, Jesse knew what he wanted, and he was never afraid to speak his mind. And he was right. Max looked over at the redhead beside him. She was watching him with a curious look on her face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. _I told Jesse the exact same thing about Zoey last night. We’re inevitable. I am going to marry her, and I can’t wait until she gives me the same news one day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I thrive on feedback, good, bad, ugly, and flattery for sure. :)  
> Until next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Heartsong in this chapter is Lullabye by Billy Joel (with a couple of small changes). 
> 
> Thanks to LadyLillianRose for fielding questions, her wonderful advise and feedback. 
> 
> This chapter is also dedicated to TheUniverse, who I finally convinced to read this story with the threat of holding it hostage from all y'all....soooo, Thanks Girl!!!!!!!

Jesse and Beca set out to explore the city and gave Max and Zoey the opportunity to stop in on her family. Zoey’s dad was about the same. He was coughing a little more and Zoey was concerned for him, but they all knew what was coming, and sooner rather than later. Zoey sat with her dad on the couch, cuddled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Max watched her with a sad smile on his face. She was just starting to get back to herself after the nightmare and she was losing her father. It wasn’t fair to her. It wasn’t fair to Maggie or David. He just wished there was something else he could do. But, since there wasn’t, he was going to just do what he could. He was going to be there for her. 

Max went into the kitchen and found Maggie, looking over papers and pamphlets. “Maggie, what can I help you with?”

Maggie looked up at him with an exhausted expression that was guarded by a smile. “Hey, Max. I just, I'm trying to figure out planning all this and making sure we have a plot, and the service and… I just don’t want to have to deal with all this later.” 

Max took a seat beside her and reached out his hand to put it on her arm. “Let me take care of some of this. I know people who know people. Family stuff. I can have them put together a few options and give them to you. Is that ok?”

Maggie let out a relieved sigh. “You could do that?” 

“Absolutely! Only one condition, you go in there and you spend as much time with Zoey, David and Mitch as you can. You can never get this time back and you don’t want to regret losing it.” 

Maggie wiped away a tear and nodded. She stood and moved towards the living room, stopping in the doorway and turning around as Max stood. “Max, thank you for always being there for Zoey, and for us too. It really does mean a lot. Mitch told me what you guys talked about at his birthday and I want you to know, I agree with him whole-heartedly. It would be an honor to call you my son.” 

Max wiped a tear of his own as he approached and hugged her. They both entered the living room and joined the others in watching wilderness survival episodes. Max looked over at the redhead on the couch and smiled. She watched in fascination as a man built a makeshift shelter of pine needles and branches and closed her eyes in disgust when he skinned a rabbit. _She is so adorable._

Max started making a mental list of who he needed to call. Both sides of his family had connections in some strange places but that is what had made them so successful. He got up, walked around the back of the couch and kissed Zoey on the crown of her head. He bent down further and whispered in her ear. “I’ll be back in a little while, Love. I just need to make a couple calls outside.” 

Max headed to the back patio, took a deep breath and dialed the only person he knew could give him the information he needed. His father. 

* * *

Zoey watched Max head towards the back door and smiled. _God, That ASS! I just want to bite it._ She shook her head and resumed watching the show when her dad started coughing uncontrollably. She sat up straight and looked at him. He was really having a hard time, and he was wheezing. Howie moved to his side and helped him as best he could. By the end of the coughing fit, Mitch was exhausted. Howie decided to help him upstairs for a nap. Zoey helped them upstairs and her mom decided to sleep for a while too. Zoey moved through the quiet house and towards the patio. She saw Max with his back to the door, his head down, rubbing the nape of his neck with his free hand, the other hand holding his phone to his ear. _He’s stressed. Who is he talking to?_ She opened the door and stepped quietly out onto the patio.

“...want this to be as easy as possible for them. Yeah, I’m ok. Just concerned about Zoey and her mom. An email with the contact info would be great.” He lowered his phone to glance at the screen and tapped a couple times before bringing it back up to his ear. “I just got it. Thanks again, Dad. I really appreciate it. Yep. Hey…Dad, you know I love you, right?... ok. Talk to you soon. Thanks.” He lowered the phone and hit the button to hang up the call, standing there, motionless. 

Zoey walked up behind him and threaded her arms between his own and his torso, wrapping them around his chest. “You ok, babe?” 

Max grasped one of her hands on his chest and slowly lifted it to his mouth to place a kiss on her knuckles. He turned around in her arms and wrapped his around her in turn. He nodded slightly. “I am now. I was just talking to my dad. It had been a while.” 

“Everything ok?”

“Yeah. I was just helping your mom with some of the planning for the…services. My father has contacts here in California somehow, so I reached out to him for the info.”

Zoey’s eyes widened. _He reached out to his father, for ME?_ “Max, you didn’t have to do that. I know things are hard with your father…”

Max leaned forward and slanted his mouth over hers, effectively shutting her up. He pulled back and rested his head against hers and whispered. “I would do ANYTHING for you.” 

They stood there in silence for a moment, just drinking each other in. He took her hand and led her to the garden bench, pulled her over and sat her on his lap, where he rested his chin on her shoulder. “My father was surprisingly pleasant today. I don’t know why but he really was. He was helpful and immediately emailed me the information I needed. He even said ‘Me, too’ when I told him I loved him. That alone is more than I’ve gotten out of my father in years. Maybe we really are making progress after all…” His voice trailed off as he placed a gentle kiss to her shoulder. 

“I’m glad it went so well. I hope it continues to be like that.” Zoey sighed. “Dad had another coughing fit and he’s laying down to take a nap. Mom, too.”

Max buried his forehead in his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart. I should have been there…”

Zoey shook her head. “No, Max. You needed to talk to your father. Not for me, but for yourself. The two of you made so much progress today! You needed that, and I am okay! Really, I am.”  
They sat together in the garden for a few more moments and then told Howie goodbye. He promised to call them if there were any changes and the Hospice Nurse, NOT NANCY, was coming to check in later. 

Max walked Zoey to the car and opened her door. She kissed him over the door frame before she sat down inside. Max then started the car and called Jesse to find out where they needed to meet. 

* * *

The next morning, Jesse and Beca left for LA and Max and Zoey went back to work. Max continued to talk to the family connection, setting up options for Mitch and Maggie and had them ready by the end of the day to give to her. Maggie chose the option that fit the best and put it out of her mind. She no longer needed to worry about it until the actual service, when the payment would be due. 

Max and Zoey could not get enough of each other. If she wasn’t at his apartment, He was at hers. He would make her breakfast, and she wouldn’t cook for him, for his sake. 

They stopped to see Mitch every day after work. He continued to get worse, less responsive, more tired. He could hardly stay awake. Zoey was struggling with it, Max could tell. So, Thursday morning at Zoey’s apartment, when they were getting ready for work, Max grabbed a bag of clothes for her. 

“Sweetheart, do you want to stay at your mom’s tonight? Spend more time with them, be closer to them?”

Zoey looked up at him and paused as she was putting on her mascara. “You sure, babe? I would love that. Do you want to stay, too? I mean, I want you there, too.”

Max walked over to her at the vanity and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “I want nothing more than to be with you 24/7. But, is my being there going to be a problem or a distraction?” 

Zoey shook her head, staring at his chocolate eyes in his reflection. “I want you there. I need you there. I feel like I am falling apart and you are the only thing holding me together.” 

Max wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed a kiss to the crown of her head. “I’m here. I’ll be there. I’m not leaving you, Baby.” 

So, after work, they stopped at his apartment to pick up spare clothes for him. 

Thursday night passed uneventfully. And at work on Friday, at 2:27 pm, Zoey’s phone rang. 

* * *

Max was in the midst of reviewing a faulty line of code when his phone rang. He wrapped the line and looked at the caller ID. Tobin. Probably just wanting to come up to get seafood from the bar. He ignored it and went to set his phone back down when it rang again in his hand. Tobin again. He answered it. “Tobin, the seafood bar is out of lobster…”

“Max, It’s Zoey…She got a phone call and now she’s in Joan’s office crying.”

_SHIT. MITCH._

_“_ Thanks, Tobin. I’ll be right there.”

He hung up and called Howie, who confirmed his suspicions. Mitch didn’t have long. Zoey needed to get there. Now. He immediately turned his computer off, packed his work bag and went to Ava’s office. She excused him for the day and asked him to keep her posted. 

Max went to the 4th floor, walked right into Joan’s office and knelt in front of the chair where Zoey sat. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she looked at him through the haze. 

“My dad…” She rasped.

“I know. I talked to Howie. I’m sorry, Zo. But we need to get there now. He is still here, and he needs you. There isn’t much time.” He said softly, shedding tears of his own. 

Zoey nodded. Max looked up at Joan. 

“Go.” She said. 

Max went to Zoey’s desk to find Tobin already there, gathering Zoey’s belongings. “Thanks, man. Remind me to sneak you a passcard to get to the raw bar.”

“This isn’t about the bar. You and Zoey are my friends and I’m here. That’s it, man. Now, get her to her dad.” 

Max clapped Tobin on the shoulder and grabbed Zoey’s bag, going back to Joan’s office. He helped Zoey out of the chair and put his arm around her, guiding her to the parking lot. They had been driving to work to make it faster and easier to get to her family after work. He helped her into the car and they arrived at the Clarke’s house a short time later. 

Zoey was staring straight ahead, Max looked over at her and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He hadn’t let go since they left work. “Babe…We’re here.” 

“I can’t do this, Max. I’m not…strong enough.” 

He took his left hand and cupped the right side of her face, gently turning her face towards him. “Zoey, you are the strongest woman I have ever met. You had a nightmare that prompted you to confess how you felt for me and you told me EVERYTHING. I can’t imagine how much strength that took. You have been here and helped your mom through each step of this process, and that isn’t easy. But your Dad needs you now. More than ever. You can do this.”

Zoey stares into his eyes, her blue eyes now sad but also determined. Max jumps out of the car and opens her door. They enter the house together and head upstairs immediately upon seeing the empty living room.

Zoey enters her parent’s bedroom first, finding her mom, David, Emily and Howie, gathered around, talking about memories from a camping trip they took when Zoey was very young. Zoey went straight to her dad, who was laying in bed with his eyes closed but was visibly breathing. She placed a kiss on his forehead and grabbed his hand. “I’m here, Dad. I’m here.”

Mitch opened his eyes and looked right at her. 

* * *

Zoey took her Dad’s hand. She knew that it was close to the end. Her mom was next to him on the bed, sitting up against the headboard, talking to David, Emily and Howie. Howie had told them last night that it was good to talk about old memories once it got this far. That it would keep Mitch remembering the good times and that it would be less stressful for him. 

“I’m here, Dad. I’m here.” 

Mitch opened his eyes and looked right at her. She saw recognition in them and suddenly music notes started to play. Mitch sat up in the bed and put his hand on her cheek. 

_Goodnight my angel, time to close my eyes_ _  
__And save these questions for another day_ _  
__I think I know what you've been asking me_ _  
__I think you know what I've been trying to say_ _  
__I promised I would never leave you_

 _Then you should always know_ _  
__Wherever you may go, no matter where you are_ _  
__I never will be far away_

Mitch stood and took her in his arms, swaying to the music in her head. 

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep_ _  
__And still so many things I want to say_ _  
__Remember all the songs you sang for me_ _  
__When we went sailing on an emerald bay_ _  
__And like a boat out on the ocean_ _  
__You’re rocking me to sleep_

 _The water's dark and deep, inside this ancient heart_ _  
__You'll always be a part of me_

  
Zoey watched with tearful eyes as her father took a turn about the room and gave Maggie a kiss and hugged David, Emily and Howie, and came back around to her. He stood before her and He looked over at Max and beckoned him over. Her father embraced the man beside her, then took her left hand and joined it with Max’s right with a wide smile and a nod. 

_Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream_ _  
__And dream how wonderful your life will be_ _  
__Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby_ _  
__Then in your heart there will always be a part of me_

Mitch sat on the bed, took Zoey’s free hand and continued his song. The lyrics slowing. 

_Someday we'll all be gone_  
 _But lullabies go on and on_ _  
They never die_

He lay back on the bed and voiced one last line, holding Zoey’s hand tightly. 

_That's how you and I will be._

The music stopped, and all was silent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm Sorry. I'm So Sorry. Just know that have probably already payed for this because my roommates may murder me for how many tissues i used writing this.....


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The heartsong is The Parting Glass by The Hound and the Fox. Please listen to it while reading. 
> 
> This chapter is sad, but does have some fluff. I will never be able to do justice to the funeral that I am sure that we will see in episode 12 so I tried to keep it simple. 
> 
> Thanks again to LadyLillianRose for her honest feedback :) Always appreciated!!! You go girl!

The day came for the funeral and Max was there for Zoey, just like every other day. The family connections he had coordinated with had come through seamlessly and had planned the entire funeral. A celebration of Mitch’s life. Just before the service, Max went with Maggie to meet with the coordinator. Maggie went to offer her credit card as payment and was waved off by the man. “It has already been taken care of.”

“What? But we haven’t…” Maggie sputters and looks at Max. He was just as confused as she was. He was going to offer to pay but Maggie had beaten him to it and now, someone else had done the same thing.

“Who took care of it?” Max asked softly.

“They just said they were a friend.”

“Can we see the statement please? We will need it for our records.”

Maggie handed Max the statement after looking over it but not gleaning any information. He looked carefully over the page. The statement they received had no names but did have the card number blocked out by ‘X’s. It did however have a State of origin of payment and initials. 

State, Country: NY, USA. 

Name on account: A.R.

Max nearly dropped the paper when he read those two lines. A.R., NY Andrew Richman. New York. His father had paid for Mitch’s funeral. 

* * *

Zoey was on autopilot and had been since her father’s song ended. Max had enveloped her in his arms and held her close as she cried and then her tears stopped and had not come again. She found herself moving about in a haze, interacting with family completely on instinct and fairly emotionless. Max had been her saving grace, their go between for the coordinators, her rock. 

Mitch’s song had been running through her mind on an almost constant loop since that moment. The way he had smiled at her and said goodbye. The way he had hugged his family and kissed Maggie. The way he had shown her that Max had his blessing to be with Zoey. It all meant so much. She didn’t know what to do right now as everything was coming together. All she knew is that in this bittersweet moment, she missed her father, but she was also relieved that he was no longer suffering as he had been for so long. It was a hard pill to swallow but she would keep trying. 

The service was beautiful. Her mom had prepared a beautiful eulogy. Zoey hadn’t been able to voice what she wanted to say. Instead, she decided to do something else. Mitch had a memorial day ritual. He would go to the cemetery where his parents were buried, where his brother was, and he would sing a song in memory of them. One song in particular. Zoey knew it. David knew it, Maggie knew it. Max even knew it through their association but also from his own family. It wasn’t a common song, just a happy coincidence. Mitch had learned it from his own father and grandfather. A common song of celebration and mourning from their Irish ancestry.

So, when the service ended and Maggie laid her hand on the casket, Zoey opened her mouth, and let the melody pour out. She knew it well and had no problem staying on key after years of repetition.

_Of all the money that e'er I had_

_I spent it in good company_

_And all the harm that e'er I've done_

_Alas, it was to none but me_

Her voice pierced the crowd and she looked over at her mother. Max squeezed her hand and opened his mouth to harmonize with her as they had planned.

_And all I've done for want of wit_

_To mem'ry now I can't recall_

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_Goodnight and joy be to you all_

Zoey looked over at Max and nodded, showing him that he should take the lead.

_Of all the comrades that e'er I had_

_They're sorry for my going away_

_And all the sweethearts that e'er I had_

_They'd wish me one more day to stay_

Zoey started singing again and Max let her, allowing her to feel the pain of her loss.

_But since it fell unto my lot_

_That I should rise, and you should not_

_I gently rise and softly call_

_"Goodnight and joy be to you all"_

The family sang the next chorus together, feeling that Mitch was still close to them somehow.

_So fill to me the parting glass_

_And drink a health whate'er befall_

_Then gently rise and softly call_

_"Goodnight and joy be to you all"_

Zoey and Max harmonized again, letting tears streak their cheeks and remembering the great man who had brought them all closer together.

_So, fill to me the parting glass_

_And gather as the evening falls_

_Then gently rise and softly call_

_"Goodnight and joy be to you all"_

* * *

Zoey felt that if she had to say another ‘Thank you for coming,’ She may explode. But, as the crowd started to vanish, she felt the pressure lift. Her mom sat in the chair along the graveside. She moved, sat next to her and placed a hand on her back. Maggie looked over at her. “Let’s go home.” They both moved over and each placed a kiss to the casket in turn. Max offered Zoey his arm and Howie supported Maggie as they walked back to the town-car. 

Back at the house, the family sat on the back patio and reminisced about memories of Mitch. His jokes, his parties, his spirit.

David spoke quietly. “Those coordinators knew what they were doing, but I hope they didn’t charge you an arm and a leg, mom.”

Maggie swallowed and looked down at her wine. “I went to pay this morning, but someone had already taken care of it…they wouldn’t tell me who.”

“What?! Someone paid for the funeral already?” Zoey asked.

Maggie just nodded in response. Zoey looked over at the man sitting on the bench beside her. “Max, do you know anything about this?” she whispered at him as the others talked amongst themselves. She raised her eyebrows pointedly. _Was it you?_

He shook his head. “I don’t know for sure, but I have suspicions…” Zoey continued to stare at him, urging him to tell her with her continued silence. “I think it may have been my Dad. The receipt said the payment originated in New York and the initials were A.R.”

“Your Dad…paid for MY Dad’s funeral?”

Max nodded. “I think so…”

Zoey sat back against the bench, leaning into him. “Wow.”

“I know.” He turned his head and kissed her temple. 

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur. Between helping Maggie to adjust to life, going back to work, and just grieving in general, the time seemed to just slip away. Max and Zoey spend every night together, sometimes sleeping, sometimes talking, sometimes doing other…things. They never spent a night apart. 

Max called his father one night, about 6 weeks after the funeral and asked him if he had paid for Mitch’s services. Andrew Richman hesitantly confessed to his generous act. This shook Max a bit. He didn’t understand the change in his father. So, he reached out to his mother, Abigail. 

After speaking to his mother for a few minutes, catching up, he broached the topic. “Uh, so Mom, what’s going on with Dad? He told me he loved me and did you know that he paid for Mitch Clarke’s Funeral?!”

He heard her sigh on the other end of the line. “He misses you. And he regrets how rough your relationship with each other has been. He heard you talking to me on the phone about Zoey and her family after you got together and he has been trying to be better ever since. It’s been lovely, honestly.”

“He’s ok, though. Nothing bad, right?”

“No. Nothing bad. Just inspired by Zoey’s relationship with her family and how they took to you. We want to meet her whenever you are ready.”

“Thanks, Mom. Maybe we can swing by around the holidays.”

* * *

Zoey was brushing her teeth that night at the sink she had claimed as her own in his Master bathroom. He never thought when he bought this place that she would be using one of them. She climbed into bed beside him and he tucked her under his arm and against his chest.

“Move in with me.” He said simply.

“What?” Zoey asked, a little shocked.

“We haven’t spent a night apart in months. You have taken over part of my bathroom already and half of your clothes are in my closet. Let’s just make it official. Move in with me.” He said earnestly.

Zoey smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! I know! Time Jumps. But, We've got somewhere to be and do we want to take 1,000 years to get there? NO!!! Sooooo, BUCKLE UP! We are about to start on the roller coaster of life! Not that we weren't already there before.... but really. This is your pilot speaking. Looking forward, we are expecting unending amounts of fluff, and small spikes of turbulence. soooo, Wear your seat belt. :) 
> 
> as always, reviews are appreciated and definitely taken seriously. Unlike this authors note.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Heartsong in this chapter is "Tenerife Sea" by Ed Sheeran. As always, listening to the song as you read is recommended. 
> 
> Special thanks to LadyLillianRose who has been extremely patient in listening to my CRAZY ideas about this story and where I am going with it.

On the first Saturday in July, 2 weeks after asking her to move in, Max hired movers to help pack up Zoey’s apartment and move her into his place. She honestly could not be happier. Rent would be cheap (a few kisses and _what-not),_ it was closer to work, closer to her mom, and she would be with Max. Max. He was so unbelievably amazing. He had been through so much with her, but he was still there, right by her side, unwavering in his actions and his love. 

Zoey had never felt anything like this before. She felt happier than she ever had in her life, and it was all because of him. Her father had been gone for 2 months and she missed him, but she felt like he was watching over them all.

Max was helping the men at her apartment so that she could start unpacking. Zoey started putting her things away as they brought them to her. Clothes into the empty side of Max’s closet, toiletries in the bathroom, books on a shelf. She had a box of breakables that she set off to the side, unsure of where to put them.

Max walked into his apartment, carrying a box of books. He put the box down by the bookcase in the living room. Zoey was in the closet, putting clothes away. There was a box on the bed. He opened the box, finding a box of glass décor that Zoey used to keep in her living room and kitchen. “Zoey, Love, what’s this box of glass doing on the bed?”

“I didn’t know where to put it that was safe, sooo, I figured the bed was the safest.” She said shyly, coming out of his closet and standing beside him. 

“Sweetheart, if you don't have a safe place to put something, you call me and I will MAKE you a safe place to put something.” He smiled, putting his arms around her waist loosely. “The glass owls don’t belong on the bed. If they live there, where will we sleep?”

“It’s not like we get much sleep there anyways.” She shrugged with a smile and winked at him.

Max gasped, “You mean that YOU don’t let ME sleep when we’re there…”

“See it how you want to see it, Babe. But, either way, we aren’t doing much sleeping.”

“I love you, Zo.” He said, his eyes shining with happiness. 

“I love you, too.”

Max leaned down and kissed her, sitting on the bed, hearing glass pieces clink against each other in the box. He stopped, picked up the box, walked to the living room and put it on top of his beloved piano. He walked back to the bedroom where Zoey was still standing by the bed, watching him walk back. He captured her mouth with his and they lost themselves in the bliss of official cohabitation.

* * *

Time passed much as it always had, it just felt more vibrant and alive. More purposeful. Every moment, precious. Their way of life stayed relatively close to what it was before, they just had simplified it by no longer having to migrate between residences. Max loved waking up next to her and knowing that she didn’t have to go home, that she was home, in their bed, and in his arms. 

So, when Emily and David asked Zoey and Max to babysit for their anniversary weekend in September, neither of them hesitated to say yes to watching Zoey’s nephew. Peter Mitchell Clarke had been born almost 1 week to the day after Mitch had passed. His namesake was a good baby. He had been a little colicky at first but was improving as he grew. He loved watching his Aunt Zoey and if music was playing, he always stopped what he was doing or playing with and seemed to listen. 

So, late Friday afternoon, Emily and David dropped Peter off, eager to get away for some alone time, the first they would have since his birth almost 4 months prior. 

“I’m telling you, Zoey, If watching him doesn’t make you NOT want to have kids for a while, Nothing will. He’s a good baby, but babysitting makes for great birth control, or so I’ve heard anyways.” David teased and then practically ran away.

Max and Zoey looked at each other, took a deep breath and braced themselves for an exhausting weekend. 

* * *

Max finished setting up the pack ‘n’ play and monitors in the guest bedroom and came back out to the living room to find Zoey sitting in the middle of the couch, making faces at Peter while slowly turning his bottle over in her free hand to break up the clumps of formula. He couldn’t help smile at her antics. _GOD, SHE is ADORABLE._ He moved over and crouched beside her, watching Peter’s gaze shift to him, and then back to Zoey with a small toothless smile. 

“You want to feed him?” Zoey asked. 

“Uh, Sure.” Max replied, slightly hesitant but excited. He sat in the corner of the couch and Zoey handed him the baby. He was careful to support his head as he shifted him into the crook of his elbow and tipped the bottle into his mouth. Peter immediately started devouring the bottle and tried to grab it with his tiny hands. Max found himself smiling even wider, watching this baby, who he hoped someday soon would be his nephew. He turned his head to look at Zoey, sitting next to him, her eyes fixed on the child in his arms. 

She caught him looking at her and smiled sheepishly. “What?” She asked. 

“Nothing. You just look beautiful tonight. That’s all.” He said, truthfully. Her hair was pulled back messily and she wasn’t wearing any make-up. And she was beautiful. She took his breath away whenever he saw her. She always had. 

He turned back to the baby in his arms and noticed that the bottle was near empty. He let him finish the formula and promptly took it out of his mouth to avoid Peter swallowing air. He sat him up and took the burp cloth Zoey offered him. Resting him against his shoulder, he gently patted the infant’s back to allow any air that he had swallowed to rise and come out. He heard a couple of small burps and then a louder one and Zoey put her hand up to her mouth and giggled. 

Max looked over at her. “He got me, didn’t he?”

Zoey, still laughing, nodded and turned pink. He finished burping Peter and then he and Zoey laid him in the Pack ‘n’ play to sleep for however long he would allow. 

After laying him down, Zoey led him out of the guest room by his hand and into the bedroom. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and helped him shrug out of it. She gave him a peck on the lips and turned him around towards the bathroom. Max shook his head at her and laughed but nevertheless, he made his way to the shower to clean off the remnants that had permeated through his shirt. 

When he came out of the bathroom, Zoey was already in bed, starting to doze off. He climbed in behind her and put his arms around her, bringing her back tight against his chest. “I love you, Zoey. I really do.” He whispered into the dark stillness of the night. Zoey did not respond. Her breathing was slow and steady. Sleep came to her easily when Max was beside her. On the rare occasion that she went to sleep before him, It was fitful, until he was beside her. Once he climbed into the bed, she fell asleep quickly, leaving him to revel in his thoughts and the fact that she was his. 

What Max didn’t see was that even in her sleep, Zoey smiled when he took her in his arms, and also when he said that he loved her. 

A piercing cry broke the silence at around 3 am. Zoey shot straight up in bed beside him and Max’s eyes opened wider and faster than he thought possible before realizing…

“Peter. I’ll get him.” She said beside him, crawling out of bed and putting her robe on. 

“Are you sure, babe?” 

She nodded back at him, waving a hand drowsily. “Go back to sleep, Max.” 

Max would not go back to sleep. Nope. He decided to follow her, ever so quietly so she wouldn’t notice. He stood in the doorway, the door was cracked open slightly and he could see her gathering what she needed for a diaper change. 

“Peter, You are the sweetest little boy. You know that, don’t you?” She said in a high sweet voice. “Your Uncle Max is sleeping right now, so you have to be quiet.” 

_Uncle Max._ He thought with a wide grin on his face. 

She finished the diaper change and fed him part of a bottle and laid him back down. Max retreated to the bedroom and lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. _Uncle Max._ When Zoey came back to the bedroom, this is how she found him, a big silly grin on his face and eyes that sparkled with joy. 

* * *

The next morning, Zoey awoke to find Max already out of bed. She got dressed and left the bedroom, to find him in the guest room with Peter, sitting in the chair in the corner, reading to him. He was absorbed in the book he was reading and was holding the infant against his shoulder. 

“Speak softly, feed frequent snacks, Give them something to suck on, wow. You know, some of this works for adults, too.” Max stated as he read the advice to the child. _He is going to be a wonderful father._

Zoey chuckled. “It certainly works for you.” She teased. 

Max looked up from the child and the book and smiled at her broadly. “Morning, sleepyhead.” 

“Good morning, babe. You could have woken me up, you know?” 

“I don’t mind. I didn’t want to bother you, you were up with him earlier! He’s been really good.” Max said with a smile. And turned to the baby with a sweet tone in his voice. “Haven’t you? Yes you have!” 

Zoey smiled at the man before her. _He really is so amazing._ She sat on the arm of the chair and together they played with Peter for a bit before he became tired and they put him down to sleep. 

* * *

Max spent the afternoon playing the piano, quietly so that Peter would not wake up. He looked over at Zoey, who was typing away on her laptop, creating a program for communication that she hoped to donate to patients with degenerative diseases. He was so proud of her dedication to helping others to get through what they had experienced. 

She scrunched up her nose as she deleted half a line of code and then bit her lip as she reentered the correct sequence. _She is so cute when she does that._

Zoey looked up at him, “What?”

“Nothing. Just looking.” 

“Oh yeah. You like what you see?” She stood up and walked towards him as he sat on the piano bench. She was wearing a red sundress and her hair was pinned up halfway. 

“I do. Definitely.” 

“Yeah? You do?”

“I do.” He said quietly, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her towards him. She bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Max started to deepen the kiss, only to be interrupted by a cry from the guest bedroom. Zoey pulled back and rested her forehead on his. 

“I’ll get him.” She said. 

Max watched her walk away and make a bottle and then his eyes followed her into the guest room. He slowly stood and walked to the door once again. He could not get enough of watching her interact with her nephew. He saw her sit down in the chair and lift the bottle to Peter’s mouth. “There you go...Yep. Drink it all. Not too fast, now.” 

_She really is going to be an amazing mother._ Max pulled himself out of his thoughts just in time to hear her next words to the child in her arms. “You know, Your Uncle Max loves you. And with how he takes care of you, I just KNOW, that he is going to be a GREAT father one day. And I can’t wait to see it.”

Max stepped back from the door with a wide grin. _Babysitting is supposed to be birth control? I don’t think it’s working. Definitely not for me._

* * *

They spent the rest of the day playing with the baby in the living room. He couldn’t do much yet but he liked to watch their faces and grab onto things. As it started to get darker outside, Zoey prepared a bottle and fed Peter before putting him down. 

Zoey leaned down to place the tired infant in the makeshift crib and Max smiled. Her sundress fell to her knees and flowed with every movement. She stood straight and smiled at him in the doorway. She passed him and went to the living room to pick up the baby toys they had used earlier. As she did, she heard music notes. 

_You look so wonderful in your dress_

_I love your hair like that_

_The way it falls on the side of your neck_

_Down your shoulders and back_

Zoey looked over at Max, she hadn’t heard a song from him in a while. Maybe because they had been so stable for so long, Love was just a common occurrence now. He moved over to her and took the toys from her hands, placing them in their bag, carefully. He grasped her hands in his and continued. 

_We are surrounded by all of these lies_

_And people that talk too much_

_You got that kind of look in your eyes_

_As if no one knows anything but us_

He caressed her face and she leaned into his touch as he sang his heart song to her. As he sang his truth. 

_Should this be the last thing I see_

_I want you to know it's enough for me_

_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

_I'm so in love_

_So in love_

_So in love_

_So in love_

Max pulled her closer to him and looked into her eyes as they swayed to the music. 

_You look so beautiful in this light_

_Your silhouette over me_

_The way it brings out the blue in your eyes_

_Is the Tenerife sea_

_And all of the voices surrounding us here_

_They just fade out when you take a breath_

_Just say the word and I will disappear_

_Into the wilderness_

He ran his hand down her cheek and cupped the back of her neck as he urged her to accept that she was all that he needed. 

_Should this be the last thing I see_

_I want you to know it's enough for me_

_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

_I'm so in love_

_So in love_

_So in love_

_So in love_

He stopped their movement and stood still and looked her right in the eyes as he continued to sing to her. 

_Should this be the last thing I see_

_I want you to know it's enough for me_

_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_

The music ended and Max pulled her close to him and kissed her gently. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. 

“Marry me.” He whispered, his eyes full of love, looking straight into hers. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zoey’s Engagement Ring. https://pin.it/3zAwfhT
> 
> As always, thanks to LadyLillianRose for her wonderful advice and feedback.

Abigail Richman stood by the window in the sitting room nursing her glass of wine. The snow falls outside the window, adding to the 12 inches that have already fallen. A taxi pulls up the long drive after passing through the gate.  _ That must be Max. He has the code.  _ She was right. The yellow car stopped in front of the house, one of the rear doors opened and a man stepped out. 

As Max steps out of the taxi into the cold air and the flurries of snow. He visibly shivered and pulled his coat around him tighter. He walked around the back of the cab and opened the other door. A petite redhead steps out of the taxi and takes his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.  _ She’s pretty.  _ Max’s mother watches them approach and sees her son stop and pull the redhead close for a kiss. Abigail smiles and steps away from the window to move towards the entry. The doorbell rings and She moves to answer it, not caring that only a moment has passed and they will know she was waiting. She wants to see her son. 

Max has a smile on his face as he looks at the open door. “Hey, Mom.” 

“Max! I’m glad you guys made it! You must be Zoey! I’m so happy to meet you!” 

Zoey smiled shyly and gripped Max’s hand tighter, her knuckles turning white. “Thanks for having me, Mrs. Richman.” 

“The two of you get in here. You must be freezing after the change in the weather. And Zoey, you must call me Abby.” She said, beckoning them inside. Max helped Zoey to take off her snowy coat and hung his up as well. 

“Ok….Abby. Thanks again for inviting me. It’s nice to be here and meet you. Max talks about you a lot.”

“He talks about you constantly. It’s nice to finally meet the woman who stole my youngest son’s heart.” 

Zoey blushed and looked over at Max, who simply shrugged. “It’s true. Are we the first ones here, Mom?”    
“Yep. Your brother and sister should be here within the hour.” 

“Zoey, I want to give you a tour. Show you around the place.” 

“Babe, Your mom may need help with dinner.” 

Abby shook her head and chuckled. “Zoey, I appreciate the offer, but I’m all set. Also, Max may have mentioned your….skills in the kitchen when I called and he was fighting a small oven fire.”

Zoey winced. “Yeah, that was bad.”

“Don’t worry about it, Love. It’s one of the reasons that I love you.”

Abby smiled at them, happy that her son finally had the happiness he had been chasing. 

“You two go! I’m going to go finish making the kugel.” 

“Zoey, you like my kugel, you are going to  **LOVE** Mom’s.” Max gushed as he led her up the stairs to his childhood bedroom. 

* * *

Up the stairs and down the hall to the right was Max’s old bedroom. He opened the door and ushered her inside. 

“Wow! It’s so, nerdy.” Zoey laughed. 

“I know. It was a bit much. Wasn’t it?”

“I LOVE IT!” She looked around at the Star Wars posters on the walls, the DC and Marvel action figures on the shelves. She turned and smiled at him. “It’s awesome, Babe.” 

“You should have seen the Star Wars sheets I had on the bed.” 

Max had just finished showing her the rest of the house when his siblings, Scott and Allison arrived. While waiting for dinner they spent the time getting to know each other. Allison and Abigail gushed over Zoey’s ring. Max had asked his grandmother for it as soon as he knew he would be proposing.Given that Scott and Allison were both still single, she happily gave it to him. (See link above.) Jesse had turned it down since it wasn’t Beca’s style. But it was Zoey’s style, simple, elegant, vintage, and perfectly unique. 

Max stepped into the kitchen to help his mom finish preparing dinner, while Allison and Scott regaled Zoey with tales from Max’s childhood. 

“Max, I’m glad you found her. She is really special.” 

“Thanks Mom. She really is. I can’t believe she chose ME.” 

“I can. You are a catch. And she clearly loves you.” 

Max smiled. “I know. And every day, I love her more.”

“That is how it is supposed to be! Don’t doubt that it is right with her. We can all see that it is.”

Andrew Richman walked into the house from the garage. “Max! You made it!” He put his briefcase down, made his way to his son and brought him into a hug. Max hugged him back a little surprised at the open affection. It felt a little strange at first, but it was a change Max was happy to embrace.. 

“Where is Zoey? It’s about time I get to meet the woman who stole your heart.” 

“You guys need me? I heard my name.” Zoey called awkwardly from the other room. 

Andrew made his way to the living room and introduced himself to Zoey. Max watched from the doorway and smiled. His dad really had changed, and the fact that the woman before him had been so instrumental in changing their relationship made him love her all the more. 

They all sat down to dinner, his family paying special attention to Zoey accepting her into the family fold. Max couldn’t help but be in awe of how significantly the dynamic had changed by adding one petite redhead to the mix. He definitely didn’t hate the change. 

* * *

At the end of the evening, after they had all turned in for the night, Max sat with Zoey in front of the fire. He held her close and watched the flames. “You are amazing, you know that?” 

“So you have said. But what makes me amazing this time?”

“My family used to be distant, uninterested and honestly, uninvested in each other. Mom was the exception of course. But watching them with you today, It’s like they are completely different people. We’ve been talking more but this is the first time I’ve seen them in person in over a year and it’s...warm. They wanted to know you and learn what was new with me. Even Dad, he was invested in knowing you, invested in  _ me _ . It’s nice.” 

Zoey turned to look at him. “Max, did you ever think that maybe, it’s you that changed them? I have only spoken to them momentarily over the phone when you were talking to them. You went out of your way to check in on each of them and put forth tremendous effort to try to make yourself part of their lives. They didn’t make it easy. But you showed them what a true family dynamic should be by sharing how my family, including you, is invested in each other. How we are actively involved in each other’s lives. Your father saw something change in you through how your mom perceived you, and because of that, he opened up. He told you he loved you. He paid for MY father’s funeral! I had never met him, or even spoken to him. That, my love, is all you. You did this. You changed your family for the better.” 

Max smiled. She was right. She always was. “Sweetheart, It was your love that inspired me to reach out. Your family showed me what I wanted mine to become. So yes, I was the one that acted on that desire. But, you are the one who instilled that desire. You inspire me every day. Not just about this. You make me a better man, and I love you for it.” 

She turned her face up towards him and he leaned in and kissed her. They sat there, contentedly in front of the fire. Letting the flames warm them. 

Andrew Richman quietly shut the door to his study as he finished his work for the night and started towards the stairs. He passed the doorway to the den and saw his youngest son and his fiancé cuddling in front of the fire. A smile graced his face. The woman in that room had inspired many changes lately and he didn’t hate it. Yes, it was difficult to be more open and to invest in his family. But, it brought them closer together. He wasn’t about to give that up anytime soon. He turned away from the heartwarming scene before him and headed up the stairs to join his wife in blissful slumber. 

* * *

The rest of the week passed in an instant, it seemed. There were no fights, there was no contention, it was perfect. Max could hardly believe it. He made sure the family knew to reserve the end of April for the wedding and everyone promised they would definitely be there. Jesse and Beca already knew and couldn’t come back to the East coast for the holidays because of their new baby girl, Amelia. Beca was still recovering from the birth a week prior and Amelia was too young to make such a long trip from LA. 

Saturday morning, Zoey and Max left for the airport. They had spent all of Hanukkah with Max’s family, the first time he had done so since moving to California. Maggie was still planning on incorporating some of the traditions they had established for Max, but it would be less extensive given the time he had already celebrated with his family. 

Christmas passed, New Years followed and with it, came hope for the new year and what it would bring them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is shorter but it had SO MUCH FLUFF!!!! 
> 
> Next time on Zoey's Extraordinary Nightmare...Changes that come with the new year, weddings, songs, tears of joy (or sadness?), trials, tribulations, marital bliss, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE?! 
> 
> I DO!! Well, mostly. I don't know all of what the characters want from me, but I know what I want from them :) SOOOOOO. WISH ME LUCK!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Heartsong in this chapter is "I Get to Love You" by Ruelle. 
> 
> A huge THANK YOU to LadyLillianRose for fixing the mess that my grammar becomes when i get overexcited, as i definitely did with this chapter.

June 28, 2021

Zoey walked into the bank and was asked by a gentleman behind the counter how she could be helped. “I need to change my name on my accounts and combine them with my husband’s.” 

The bank associate asked her to wait a moment and continued to help the customer in front of him. Zoey’s cell phone rang and she picked it up. “Hey, babe. Where are you?” 

“Just got the coffee. I’m headed your way now.” 

A commotion sounded behind Zoey and she turned around to see a man yelling at her, waving a gun in her face. 

“Zoey? Babe, what’s happening?” She heard Max’s voice as she looked around and saw the tellers stuck far behind the counter, all of them glancing towards their desks in despair. _It all happened so fast, they didn’t get to the alarm._

“HANG UP THE PHONE, NOW!!!!” 

Zoey knew what she had to do. She didn’t have a choice. “Max, there are men here with guns, call the police!” 

The man hit her with the gun and she dropped her phone with a pained grunt. He pointed his gun at her and suddenly silence rang in her ears as she felt a flash of fire and ice in her upper abdomen. She looked down and saw blood drip through her shirt. She started to feel dizzy and hazy from the pain, but also from something she couldn’t name. She could only think of one word. “Max...” She rasped. She felt herself falling, and all faded to black. 

* * *

Max was walking out of the coffee shop when he heard the commotion. A man’s voice was shouting on the other end of the phone. “LADY, HANG UP THE PHONE.” 

“Zoey? Babe, what’s happening?”

“HANG UP THE PHONE NOW!” 

Max froze in the middle of the sidewalk as he tried to listen, Zoeys voice coming through the phone. “Max, there are men here with guns, call the police!” Zoey stopped talking as he heard a grunt of pain, a clatter as if the phone had hit the ground, and then an earth-shattering sound. _GUNSHOT._ “Max…” He heard Zoey cry painfully, softly, breathlessly.

The coffee that Max was holding hit the cement and splattered on his shoes but he didn’t even notice as he glanced down to dial 9-1-1 as he ran down the street. The coffee shop was a few blocks from the bank but it still took him several minutes to get there. The crowd around the bank was unbelievable. It took even more time to wade through the sea of people. “The robbers are already gone.” “They left before the police got here.” “They say someone got shot!” Max heard snippets of conversation from the onlookers. Tears were pricking his eyes as he continued to make his way past them. _Please God, No. Please. Not her. Not her._

The police barricade blocked his path to the door but he saw the ambulance doors start to close and inside, he saw vibrant red hair and Zoey’s petite form on a stretcher, paramedics applying pressure to the bleeding wound on her torso. _Zoey…._

“THAT’S MY WIFE!” Max shouted, pointing at the ambulance. The officer closest to him, a tall man with close-cropped hair approached him. 

“That woman is your wife? Can you tell me her name, sir?” 

“Her name is Zoey Clarke...I mean Richman. We’re newlyweds. We were running errands and I was going to meet her here to link our accounts. I’m the one who called 9-1-1. I was on the phone with her when they came. I heard a gunshot.” 

The officer nodded, giving him a look of pity. “Your wife was wounded in the altercation. They are taking her to the hospital. She’s lost a lot of blood. Let’s get you there, shall we?” 

Max nodded weakly and the officer lifted the tape, allowing him to pass under it. They made their way to the police car and the officer raced them to the hospital. 

They Pulled up outside the doors to the ER and both jumped out of the car. Max ran inside to see the hospital staff wheeling a stretcher out of Trauma bay 1 as they started to race down the hallway. He ran after it when he saw the redhead laying on it. “Zoey! I’m here, sweetheart.” Her eyes remained closed and her hand did not squeeze his in return. 

“Sir, they need to get her to surgery. The waiting room is over there, we will let you know of any changes.” 

The staff continued to push her down the hallway, through the double doors marked ‘Staff Only’. “I love you, Zoey!” He called out from the doorway, praying that she could somehow hear him. 

The nurse standing beside him turned to him and the officer. “Are you her husband?” 

Max nodded, still shocked this was happening. “Yes. She is my wife.” 

The nurse nodded and led him to the waiting room. “The two of you will wait here. Officer, the report and evidence should be ready when the surgery is complete. Sir…” 

“Max, Max Richman.” 

“Mr. Richman, in surgery they need to remove jewelry as it can cause further injury to the patients with the cautery. I’ll leave this in your care?” 

Max nodded again, and the nurse handed him Zoey’s wedding ring. It hadn’t been off her finger since he had put it there on their wedding day.. His heart clenched as he turned to sit in the chair. He nervously began turning the ring over in his hands, sliding it onto his little finger and spinning it around. 

An hour went by, then two. And Max sat, playing with her ring on his finger, praying for a miracle. He sighed, thinking back to the day they vowed to belong to each other…always. 

_April 24, 2021_

_Max stood at the end of the long aisle on the grass. The view of the beach from the venue was beautiful, but he preferred the view right in front of him. Zoey walked up the aisle towards him, her red hair pinned up showing her beautiful blue eyes. Her dress flowed with every step she took. Tears sprang to his eyes as he watched the love of his life approach him. David stopped in front of him, placing Zoey’s hands in his. David kissed his sister on the cheek and took his seat._

_Max hardly remembered anything from the ceremony except when it came time for the vows and the way that she said ‘I do’ with such certainty that he did not doubt that she loved him._

_When the vows came, she voiced her thoughts first. “Max.You have been my best friend since the day I met you at SPRQPoint. If you had told me that day, that the man I met would be the love of my life, my husband, I would have laughed. I would never have believed it, but you climbed your way into my heart. You surged through every obstacle. I love everything about you. I love how you play_ _the piano to calm yourself after a busy day at work. I love how you always stand by me, even when you think I may be a little crazy. I love how I can see the wheels in your head, spinning, trying to find answers to questions, to find solutions to any problems that you face. You have done so much for me. You’ve guarded MY feelings. You have protected ME. You built a levee to keep me safe from the flood of emotions my life was throwing at me. The flood of sadness caused by my father’s illness, the flood of stress from work, even the changes of everyday life! You are my lighthouse in the storm. Your strength has never waivered, helping me through it all, most times at your own expense. I am sorry it took me so long to see what you mean to me. But, I promise, I will NEVER stop loving you. You are my everything.You are my forever guy.’_

 _Tears streamed down his face as he fought back the urge to kiss her. It was his turn and then_ _she would be his. ‘Zoey, You bring light to my life. You have changed me for the better. You are my best friend. I was talking with your father on his last birthday and he told me that the best relationships, the best marriages, come out of being friends first. It creates a different level of intimacy and trust. Love through good, bad, and ugly. He gave me his blessing that day before we were even together, before you knew how you felt about me. But he knew that it would work, that we were inevitable, and he was right. I trust you implicitly. I have never felt closer to anyone. You are my heart, my soul, and my life. I would do anything for you. You brighten my day with a smile, with a word, or a glance. Everyone worries about the trials of life and the struggles it may bring, but, I’m not worried about any of it. Because I know that I have you by my side. And if you are here with me, We can get through anything. Together. And I will always be here for you. I am yours. Always.’_

 _Zoeys eyes filled with tears,she leaned forward and kissed him the moment she could._ **_She is mine...She is mine._ ** _The thoughts were spinning in his head. When they pulled back, he lifted her left hand in the air with a wide grin and their families and friends cheered._

A beeping on the intercom brought Max back to the present. **_Dr. Hawkins, please call the Med-Surg Nurses Station. Dr. Hawkins, please call the Med-Surg Nurses Station._ **

The officer beside Max cleared his throat. “Your wife is very brave. None of the tellers had the chance to push the silent alarm and the perps knew it. If she hadn’t warned you, all of them would probably be dead right now. Your wife saved the other people in the bank.” 

Max looked over at the officer. “I had no idea they couldn’t reach the alarm.” 

“If you hadn’t listened to and trusted your wife, it would have ended much worse than it did. I just hope she will be ok.”

Max nodded. “Me too.” _Me too._

_Their wedding reception happened in Maggie’s beautiful backyard. The rose wall made for a beautiful backdrop for the cake. After dinner, Max was shaken from staring at his wife by the clinking of a glass. Jesse was grinning at them, his glass raised in their direction._

_“Hey everybody! Thanks for coming to celebrate my cousin’s wedding to this beautiful woman. Now, Zoey has a bit of a surprise for Max. Zoey…”_

_Jesse stepped over to a piano that was being pulled out from behind the bushes by Max’s dad, Scott, and David. He sat down on the bench and started playing a melody. Zoey stood from beside her husband and looked down at him with a smile. “I love you, Max. With all I am. Thank you for taking this journey with me.”_

**_One look at you_ **

**_My whole life falls in line_ **

**_I prayed for you_ **

**_Before I called you mine_ **

**_Oh, I can't believe it's true sometimes_ **

**_Oh, I can't believe it's true_ **

_Zoey took a deep breath and smiled at him with tears in her eyes. Taking her hand she caressed the side of his face._

**_I get to love you_ **

**_It's the best thing that I'll ever do_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_It's a promise I'm making to you_ **

**_Whatever may come your heart I will choose_ **

**_Forever I'm yours, forever I do_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

_Max couldn’t stop staring at her. This angel had chosen HIM. Forever._

**_The way you love_ **

**_It changes who I am_ **

**_I am undone_ **

**_I thank God once again_ **

**_Oh, I can't believe it's true sometimes_ **

**_Oh, I can't believe it's true_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_It's the best thing that I'll ever do_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_It's a promise I'm making to you_ **

**_Whatever may come your heart I will choose_ **

**_Forever I'm yours, forever I do_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

_Max started crying as Zoey continued to sing to him. Tears of joy for what they had already been through and what they were going to overcome. Together._

**_And they say love is a journey_ **

**_I promise that I'll never leave_ **

**_When it's too heavy to carry_ **

**_Remember this moment with me_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

**_I get to love you_ **

_Max stood and kissed her deeply to the clinking of wine glasses. His smile was wider than ever. “You’re wrong. Whatever may come...I get to love YOU.” He whispered to her._

The double doors opened and a woman dressed in surgeons scrubs came into the waiting room. “Richman.” She said, and Max stood. She walked over to him, nodding to the officer. 

“We were able to remove the bullet and repair the damage it caused. Your wife and baby are fine. It was a little touch and go there and she lost a lot of blood but she should be ok as long as there are no other complications.” 

“Wa...Wait. What? What did you say?” 

“Your wife is fine.”

“No, did..did you say, **_baby_ **?!” Max asked in a desperate tone. 

“Yes, I....You didn’t know. I’m sorry. Uh. Well, she may not have even known. We had to run a blood test and do an abdominal ultrasound to see if there was further damage and we found that she is pregnant. It’s early so she may not have even known. I’ve sent a request for obstetrics to evaluate but, for now, they are both stable. I recommend increased caution for the remainder of the pregnancy, however. Trauma is not something to be taken lightly. The nurses will come get you when she is in the recovery room.”

The officer pulled the doctor aside and discussed obtaining the evidence, and Max turned and collapsed in his chair. His head in his hands. _A baby. Zoey was pregnant. PREGNANT. He was going to be a father. She, no...THEY almost died. He almost lost BOTH of them._ His thoughts were everywhere and nowhere. Spiraling. A nurse came out and led him to Zoey’s room in the ICU. She had a nasal cannula delivering oxygen to her nose and sensors were attached to her chest, and finger. She looked so pale. _Oh, my Love. I should have been there. I’m so sorry._

He reached her side and took her hand. “I’m here, Zo. I’m right here, sweetheart.” He slid her ring back onto the fourth finger of her left hand where it belonged and kissed her knuckles. 

He sat beside her bed with her hand in his for several hours, listening to the steady beating of her heart on the monitor. He had no ideas what all of the different numbers meant, but the nurse, Amanda, smiled when she saw them. “They really do look good. Her blood pressure is stable, especially for how much blood she lost, her pulse is good and she is keeping her oxygen up. These are all good signs.” 

He wanted to believe her, but until Zoey woke up, he would not be certain of anything. 

He heard footsteps and the door opened. Maggie came into the room. “Max, the officers told us what happened. Oh my goodness. Is she ok?” 

“She’s stable,” he said, keeping his hold on his wife’s hand and looking over at his mother-in-law. “Sorry I didn’t call. The officer said he would take care of it and I….”

Maggie put her hand on his shoulder. “I know. I couldn’t have done it either. You did right. Your focus should be on her.”

Max nodded and stared at his wife. Willing her to wake, to be there, to be ok. 

Another hour passed and Maggie went out to the waiting room to tell David and Emily. A few minutes after Maggie left, Max felt Zoey’s hand gently squeeze his own. He looked at her face and saw her eyes start to open. He sighed in relief as he squeezed her hand in return. “Hey, Zo. Welcome back, Love.” 

“Max, What…” she tried to sit up a little and flinched, putting her hand against her left upper abdomen. 

He stood and moved his chair closer to her face so she could see him easier. “Take it easy, sweetheart. You were in surgery a long time. But, you’re ok. You are **_both_ ** ok.” 

Zoeys eyes were clear as she looked at him. “Both?” 

Max nodded. “They had to do an abdominal ultrasound to see if there was further damage and... You’re pregnant, Zoey.” He said quietly. 

“WHAT?!” She asked loudly, then flinched at the noise. “I’m...I’m pregnant?!” 

Max smiled at her. “Yes. I thought for a moment you just hadn’t told me but the doctor said it was early enough that you may not have known yet.” 

“I definitely didn’t know. Wow. Busy day. I go to change my name and get shot, and now, I’m pregnant. What have you done to me, Max Richman?” 

“I married you. That is what I did.” He said with a smirk. “I’m just glad you are ok. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.” 

“You would have crashed and burned.” Zoey said with a tired smile. 

“I should tell your mom and David. They’re worried about you. I’m going to run to the bathroom and send them in.” He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, Zoey.” 

“I love you, Max.” 

* * *

Max went to the waiting room and told Maggie and David that Zoey was awake. Emily had gone home to take over for the sitter. It had been nearly 10 hours since the shooting and everyone was tired and anxious for news. The two of them went back to see Zoey while Max went to the bathroom. He relieved himself and splashed water on his face. Trying to get back some of the energy he had lost with worrying, but all the while, knowing it was futile. 

Only 2 visitors were allowed in the ICU rooms at a time and he wanted to give Maggie and David some time. So, He came back out of the bathroom and entered the waiting room, only to find that it was no longer empty. Andrew and Abby Richman were sitting in the corner, able to see both the entrance to the waiting room, and the corridor to the ICU itself. “Mom? Dad?” Max questioned, hardly believing his eyes. 

His parents stood and were over to him in a flash. His mom pulled him in for a hug quickly followed by his dad. “Maggie called and told us what happened. We were on the next flight. How is she?” 

“She’s ok. Stable now. She lost a lot of blood but they were able to get the bullet out and repair the damage. We were lucky it wasn’t worse. I was on the phone with her when it happened. She told me to call the police and I heard them shoot her for it. None of the bank tellers made it to the alarm. If she hadn’t told me, they all could have been dead now.” 

“It’s a miracle. Really. Are you ok, Max?” Andrew asked. 

Max nodded at his father. “I’m just glad she is alright now. It’s all going to be ok, barring any complications.” 

Maggie and David chose this moment to exit the ICU. “Abby, you made it.” Maggie exclaimed, hugging her friend. They had become close during the planning of the wedding and had kept in touch. Max should have known that Maggie would have called his mother. 

“We were on the first flight out of New York.” 

“Zoey just fell asleep. She’s ok, but exhausted. We’ll come back tomorrow. You coming with us, Max?” 

He shook his head. “I’m going to stay here. I want to be here when she wakes up.” 

His parents, Maggie and David all gave him a hug and he went back into Zoey’s room. Amanda, the nurse, brought him a pillow and a set of sheets for the chair that laid back almost into a bed. She helped him pull it alongside her on the right side so that she could still take care of the wound and tubes from the left side of Zoey. He lay down in the chair and reached his hand through the handrail grasping his sleeping wife’s hand, and held it all through the night. He woke as the light came through the window to Zoey calling out his name softly. 

* * *

“Max. Oh, Maaax….MAX!” 

He sat up sharply, looking over at her. She had more color in her face and a new light in her eyes. 

“Max, did i dream about yesterday's conversation after the surgery or… am i really pregnant?” She whispered excitedly. 

He shook his head with a smile. “You didn’t dream it. You are pregnant. We are going to have a baby.” 

Her face lit up in a wide smile and her eyes sparkle. “We’re having a baby!” 

She reached for him and he obliged, coming closer and kissed her gently but soundly. 

“We’re going to be ok.” 

A couple hours later, The Obstetrician came in and did an ultrasound to evaluate the size and time frame of the pregnancy. Through the ultrasound, the Doctor determined that Zoey was about 9 weeks pregnant.

“9 weeks?!”

“Zoey, how are your periods? Are they regular?”

She shook her head. “Haven’t been for a couple years. I always blamed it on stress.” 

“Stress can do it for sure. You just thought it was a stress skip. You’re newlyweds! It wouldn’t be the first time.” 

“I just….9 weeks. That means we only have…” Max started counting in his head _. The wheels are spinning again… I really do love that._ “31 weeks...to plan and prepare and...Wow! I’m gonna be a Dad!” He finished with a smile. 

Zoey smiled back at him, laughing as he brought himself out of his panic spiral into excitement. 

“Do you want to hear the heartbeat?”

“YES!” Max exclaimed. 

Zoey looked over at her husband, watching his face. She heard a muffled, _thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump._ She saw his eyes go wide and start to water. The corners of his lips turned up in a smile, and a tear coursed down his cheek. 

“We are gonna have a baby.” He whispered at her. “That’s our baby.” 

“That’s our baby.” Zoey agreed with a smile. He leaned over and kissed her again, loving and tender. All of this was worth it to see the joy in his eyes. They would get through this. They could conquer anything. And as long as they were together, everything would be ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOO. this is just the beginning!!! :) Aren't they so adorkable?!?!?!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, sweet, and emotional.  
> Love it.  
> Also, I have decided to end this story at 15 chapters. sooooo, after this chapter, there will only be 2 more. :) 
> 
> As always, Thank you LadyLillianRose for your patience and your advice. :) This story would have been much shorter/nonexistent without it.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

  
  


They kept Zoey in the hospital for 3 more days to monitor her for any signs of infection or complications from the shooting and subsequent surgery. When they released her, Max’s parents drove them back to their apartment where David, Emily, Peter and Maggie were already waiting. They threw a small “Welcome Home” celebration but at Max’s urging, left so Zoey could get some more rest. Max’s parents booked a return flight home for July 5th, so they could spend Independence Day with their son. 

Zoey took it easy the next couple of days, though not completely by her own choice. Her now paranoid and extremely protective husband was insistent that she not overtax herself. “Zoey, Love. You nearly died! Remember, the doctor said that the trauma was not something to take lightly!” 

He did EVERYTHING for her, just short of wiping her backside, which he probably would have happily done if she hadn’t barked at him to get out of the bathroom. She felt slightly bad about that, but he did need to back off a little. _I’m not going to break. I’ve made it this far, haven’t I?_

She appreciated the caution he was taking, but it was too much! She finally exploded at him on Saturday after he coddled her just a little too much when he was helping her onto the couch. “STOP!!! JUST STOP!!! Max, I am not a child and I just need to breathe! You’re suffocating me!!” 

She felt terrible the moment the words left her mouth. His face was a mix of hurt and shock that he quickly covered with a mask of indifference. He held his hands up and stepped away from the couch. “You got it.” He went to the kitchen and began preparing dinner. He pulled out an onion and started dicing it for the roast. Zoey folded her hands over her lap and stared at her fingers. She heard him in the kitchen, the knife scraping softly against the cutting board as the aroma of the onion wafted through the apartment. _Shit. I shouldn’t have said it like that._ She took a deep breath and got off the couch, turning to the kitchen to find Max staring intently down at the onion on the cutting board before him, his eyes watering. 

Zoey walked up to him and sat on a barstool diagonal from him. She reached her right hand over and stopped the hand holding the knife. “I’m sorry, Max. I shouldn’t have said that to you. You are just trying to help like you always do and I yelled at you for it. I was wrong.” 

His brown eyes stared at the wooden board beneath his hands. She knew the tears in his eyes were not just from the onion fumes. “I almost lost you. Forever. There was no coming back from that. I heard the shot over the phone, you cried out in pain and tried to call my name... I should have been there. I wasn’t there when you needed me most. I could have stopped this.” 

She got up from the stool, rounded the corner of the counter and stood at his side. She took her left hand and turned his face towards her, caressing his cheek. “Max, I’m here. I’m right here. You’re right. It could have been so much worse. I **_could_** have died, I know that. But, if you being there would have changed anything, we both know you would have taken that bullet for me. And if you had, you could have died. I would be sitting here, mourning you, **_again_**. I’ve already done that enough for one lifetime. And if you had, then I would be raising our baby all alone. Our baby needs its father, and I need my husband. So, I am glad that you were getting coffee for us when it happened, because I need YOU. It’s a two way street, Max. You and I, facing the world together. I am ok, _**our**_ ** _BABY_** is ok. I am not going **_anywhere._** ” 

Max looked down at her with a small smile before she continued. “Max, I really am sorry for yelling at you. I know you are scared after what happened. Believe me, I know. Do you remember the day I told you about the nightmare and what happened after movie night?”

He nodded at her. “You left and then came back because you were afraid that what we had was all a dream.”

“I was scared that I had made it all up. That you were really gone and I was alone. I didn’t want to wake up alone in my bed, knowing that you were gone and never coming back. So I came back. I asked you to let me stay the night. And how many nights have we spent apart since the day I had the breakdown at work?” 

“Just our wedding night.” 

She smiled up at him. “Exactly. Sometimes, I dream that you are gone. But, feeling you beside me when I wake up, seeing the pictures you put around after I moved in. The ring on my finger, it all reminds me that you are with me. That you are **_MINE._** That what we have **_IS REAL._** ” 

“You still dream about it?” He asked, his voice cracking. 

She nodded at him. “And every time I do, I wake up **_terrified_ ** that I have lost you all over again. But, you are here with me. So, I understand how you feel Max, I get it. I watched you die, and even though it was a dream...sometimes I still can’t get your empty eyes out of my head. All I wanted was to see the love you carried in them again. To see the life that made them sparkle. And here with you, I see it every day. I see the love that you have for me in a glance. The sparkle in them when you smile. And I know that this is real. My sweet Max, You can help me **_ANYTIME._ ** Just please let me pee on my own unless I specifically ask for your help. Okay?” 

Max smiled at her sheepishly and nodded. She cradled the nape of his neck and pulled his head down so she could kiss him. He let go of the cutting board and shifted his feet slightly so that he could wrap his arms gently around her, being careful of the wound on her abdomen. She pulled back to breathe and rested her forehead against his. One of his hands left her hips and came around to caress her lower belly. “I love you, Zoey. I just couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. And then to find out that you’re pregnant with my child just made me worry all the more. I will always be here for you. I will rub your feet when they get sore, I will get you pistachio ice cream and pickles at 2 am. I will do **_ANYTHING_ ** for you. I swear. I’m sorry for smothering you and I will try to do my best not to from now on. Please, just tell me if it’s too much? And, I will let you pee on your own until otherwise requested. Deal?” 

“Deal.” Zoey stood on her toes again for another kiss. He held her in a tight embrace even after they caught their breath. They just stood there, holding onto one another. Zoey took in the warmth, the love and the strength from him. He had always been her anchor, and she knew that he was hers, always.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to LadyLillianRose for her help and suggestions. 
> 
> This chapter is shorter but its all cute fluff!! :) one more chapter and then we are done! and guess what?! ITS COMING OUT TONIGHT, TOO!!!!!

Max woke to a loud thud. He sat straight up in bed and looked over to Zoey’s place next to him to find it empty. He heard more rustling and a curse. He got up and walked drowsily to the kitchen to find the pantry door open. Zoey was bent over inside, digging around the shelves. 

“Zo, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to find the Twizzlers.”

“Zo, Why do you need the Twizzlers at 2 in the morning?”

“Cause all the baby wants right now is Twizzlers and Nutella. I found the Nutella,” she gestured to the jar on the island. “Now, I just need the Twizzlers.” 

Max moved towards his anxious wife. “Love, we ate the last of the Twizzlers 2 days ago when we were watching The Return of the King. Remember?”

Zoey’s expression turned to one of despair and tears started to well in her eyes. Max’s eyes widened in worry and shock. The thought that all of this was caused by Twizzlers was ridiculous but he knew what he needed to do. He pulled her close and placed a kiss on top of her head. He pulled back and looked down at her. “Zoey, I’ll be right back. You are gonna get your Twizzlers.” And he walked into the closet to grab a shirt and his wallet. 

He bent down to give Zoey another reassuring kiss and left on his expedition. Just around the corner was a 24 hour pharmacy that was bound to have some of the red twisted licorice candy that his wife was so desperate for. He found the candy and went to check out. 

“Odd time of night for licorice.” The older man behind the counter stated. 

“Pregnancy cravings.” Max yawned. 

The man chuckled. “I remember those days. Nothing can sate that craving until you get her what she wants.”

“You’re telling me.” Max said, a smile growing on his face. “But, it’s all worth it.”

“Yes, it is.” The man smiled back. “Is this your first?”

Max nodded. 

“Do you know what it is, yet?”

“Not yet. Next week.”

“Congratulations…”

“Max.”

“Congratulations, Max. I’m Bob. I’m sure I will be seeing more of you. Those cravings hit at the worst times.” 

Max thanked him and brought the treasure back to his beautiful wife. She smiled widely when she saw the candy in his hands and opened the Nutella quickly. She dipped the licorice in the hazelnut chocolate and moaned in pleasure as her cravings were sated.  _ Damn. She is gorgeous, even when eating licorice and chocolate so messily.  _ The slight curve of her abdomen brought joy to his heart and soul as he watched her smile at the taste. 

He moved next to her and placed his hand on her swelling belly. He bent down, lifted her tank top and placed a kiss to her stretching skin over their child. Zoey took her clean hand and ran it through his hair. “Thank you for the Twizzlers, babe.” 

“Anytime, love. Always.” 

* * *

Zoey winced as the cold gel for the ultrasound touched her skin. 

“Sorry, forgot to warn you…” The doctor apologized. 

“It’s ok. Just a little shocked is all.” Zoey replied and Max reached out to take her hand.

The doctor moved the wand and found the heartbeat. Max held Zoey’s hand tightly in anticipation. “Do you want to know the gender?”

Zoey looked over at her husband and he nodded in response with a smile. “Yes, please.” Zoey replied while smiling back at her husband. 

The doctor directed their attention to the screen. “Right here, these 3 little white lines. Congratulations, You are having a girl!” 

Zoey looked over at her husband and his smile ran from ear to ear. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he stared at the screen. “A girl?” He looked back at his wife. “We are having a girl!” The joy in his eyes was so bright that it could have lit the room. He bent down and kissed her. “It’s a girl.” He whispered to her. 

“I know, babe, a little girl.” She smiled back at him. 

* * *

The gender reveal went smoothly. The balloons exploded properly when struck by the pin that Max held. Pink glitter covered him, Zoey, and the grass in Maggie’s backyard. Zoey found pieces of glitter in Max’s hair for a month. It kept appearing. The never ending plague.  _ Glitter truly is the herpes of crafting supplies.  _ Max found glitter in her hair, too. And every time he did, he smiled, the joy filling his eyes again and again. He gushed about how there would be a mini Zoey running around their apartment and how he couldn’t wait to spoil her, too. 

* * *

The day Zoey went into labor, they were both at work and Zoey had just waddled back from the bathroom. Her petite form was starting to become overwhelmed by her swollen belly but she didn’t hate it. Max kissed it every chance he could get and he sang to their little girl every day. She sat down at her desk to check the new algorithms and felt a twinge and a rush of fluid. She looked down to see the puddle collecting at her feet. She groaned at the pain and Tobin looked up from his desk. “Zoey, you okay?”

Zoey shook her head. “My water just broke. I think I’m in labor.”

Tobin shot up from his chair. “Okay, okay, okay. Max and I talked about this. I know what I need to do.” He started pacing. “I just can’t remember where I need to start!” 

“Maybe start by getting Max?” She groaned and took a deep breath. 

“YES! THAT’S IT! I’ll be right back! Don’t have the baby while I’m gone!” 

Zoey chuckled at him as he ran towards the elevator to find her husband upstairs. She rubbed her belly and smiled.  _ I’ll see you soon, Baby Girl. We’ll see you soon.  _

* * *

Max was helping one of his team-members check a line of code that was giving them trouble, he leaned over the desk, looking at the screens. He suggested a couple of changes and then watched until the elevator doors opened and Tobin ran out.

“Max!” He looked up sharply when Tobin called his name as he ran into the 6th floor bullpen. “Zoey’s in labor.” 

Max moved quickly towards his desk. “Okay, ummmm, where’s the go bag?”

Tobin replied, “You put it in the car.” 

“My keys?” 

“In your pocket.” Tobin nodded at his jeans. 

“Zoey?” 

“Downstairs, sitting at her desk. Her water broke.” 

Max’s face shot up. “Wow. This is really happening.” 

Tobin nodded at him with a nervous smile. “Yes. You’re gonna be a dad!” 

Max smiled.  _ My little girl is coming. Zoey and the baby. My girls.  _

Tobin and Max headed downstairs quickly. Max got Zoey into the car and then they headed to the hospital, calling Maggie on the way. She was going to call David and Emily and then meet them there in a bit. 

Max walked Zoey inside and they took them to their private room. He knew that they still had quite some time to wait but Max was excited to meet their little girl. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews fuel my fire.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS!!!! THIS IS THE END!!!!! UGH! MY HEART IS BREAKING. Thanks for all the love and support, and the hate too! 
> 
> Thanks to LadyLillianRose for reading and fixing and putting up with my crap! I throw a lot of things her way that she does not expect and she honestly saves y'all from a TON of heartache....because, well, i had some rough ideas that would not have been great for any of our characters.

December 25, 2024

Max sat on the floor in the living room, holding a doll in his hands and smiling at the child before him. The red haired toddler looked up at him with big brown eyes and put her doll down on the ground. “Daddy, pway piano!” 

“You want me to play the piano? Let’s go play the piano, Nessa.” 

He picked up his daughter and lifted her high in the air, making her laugh as he carried her to the instrument against the window. He sat her on his lap and placed her hands on the keys. He played a note and lifted his hand off the key. Nessa took her finger and pushed down on the key he had played. He smiled at her and played another, watching her mimic him. 

Zoey watched them from the doorway of Nessa’s room, smiling at her husband and the way he was with their daughter. It made her so happy to look at Nessa’s face and see Max’s eyes looking back at her. She loves those eyes. She looked down at the baby in her arms. Wyatt’s dark blue eyes looked back at her. He was 3 months old and watched her closely. She smiled down at him and moved to sit in the rocking chair to watch Max play the piano with Nessa. 

* * *

December 25, 2024

Maggie and David looked on from the doorway sadly. Zoey sat contentedly in her chair, looking out the window. She was happily chattering at the doll in her arms.

Maggie started to cry, again, as she did every time that they came to see Zoey. Every week for the last 4 years she had cried while visiting her daughter here in the psychiatric hospital following her breakdown at work after Max's death. Zoey continued to chat to the baby doll. “Your daddy is the best daddy. He is so sweet and kind, look at how he is with your sister. I don't know what I would do without him." She looked over at the vacant corner of her room and smiled, oblivious to the empty space. 

David put his arm around his mother and turned her away from the scene that caused her so much distress. He felt broken. The trauma from watching Max die had changed Zoey forever. Even if she came out of this delusion, she would still never be the same and had lost 4 years of her life. This is what life without Max had become. Who she was without him. David blinked and wiped a tear from his eyes.  _ DAMNIT! Will our family NEVER be happy?! At this point...probably not. _ He walked his mother out of the hospital ward and to his car. As he opened his car door, he looked up and saw Zoey in her window, staring out at the landscape and rocking her doll. She smiled down at it and he found himself envying her reality.  _ At least she is happy. In her mind, Max is alive and with her. He would have been, had he been given the chance.  _

David started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and drove away, leaving Zoey oblivious in her world of joy and love. 

  
  
  
  
  


THE END 

-

OR….IT WOULD BE IF I WAS TRULY CRUEL!!!! AND I AM NOT!!!!!! SOOOOO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I PRESENT, THE TRUTH OF HOW ZOEY AND MAX’S STORY CONTINUES...BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW, IT WILL NEVER END. 

-  
  


December 25, 2024

Zoey and Max entered Maggie’s house early on Christmas Morning. Maggie was already in the kitchen, cooking latkes. Max smiled at his mother-in-law and set Nessa on the ground so she could run over to her grandmother. He set the baby carrier holding little Wyatt down and gave Zoey a kiss before going over to greet Maggie properly and help her with breakfast. 

David, Emily and Peter came through the front door and Nessa ran to greet her cousin, stumbling across the floor in her excitement. She grabbed Peter’s hand, dragging him into the living room to look at the presents under the tree.

“Nessa, you are not to unwrap any of those presents!” Max called from his position at the stove, flipping the latkes. Zoey swore that he had eyes in the back of his head sometimes, but his instincts were just on-point. Nessa was nearly 3 years old and was an energetic soul, she hardly ever stopped moving. She was such a Daddy’s girl, just like her mom. She followed him around constantly, and he didn’t mind. He loved it, a mini Zoey that he helped to create.  _ My little girl. I can’t believe she is mine. Sometimes I still can’t believe her mother is mine either. _ He turned and looked at Zoey who was chatting happily with Emily. Emily rested her hand on her swollen belly and groaned. 

“I am just so ready for this pregnancy to be over. Peter’s was so much easier. I was nauseous the first few months but fine after that. This time, I have been miserable more than not.” 

“You’ll be done soon! Only a couple more weeks and then you’ll have your little girl!”

“I am excited about that…” 

Max smiled as he pulled the latkes out of the oil. He never thought Emily would be excited to have ANOTHER kid. But in talking to David, it was  **_HER_ ** idea to have another baby. He and David had become quite close since he started dating Zoey, and fatherhood was a whole other mountain. They leaned on each other, asked each other for advice, and even joined each other for poker nights. 

They sat down for breakfast and Max and Zoey showed Nessa how to dip her latkes in applesauce and sour cream. She puckered her face at the cream, but kept choosing to dip her latkes in the substance. She ate the applesauce alone without the latkes. Max smiled. Next week, she would probably do the opposite. Her tastes changed week to week and day to day even. One day, milk was her favorite then the next, she hated it. Candy was her one constant, she was her mother’s daughter after all. Her favorite of all candies were strawberry Twizzlers… 

* * *

They sat in front of the tree, having just finished opening their gifts. Nessa crawled into Max’s lap and curled up next to him on the sofa, forcing Zoey and him apart slightly. She wrapped her arms around her dad’s forearm, leaning against him and closed her eyes. Max looked down at her and smiled. He looked over at his wife and she smiled back at him. She leaned over their sleeping daughter and placed a kiss on his lips. They all sat in the living room, content in the company of their family. David and Emily with a drowsy Peter climbing into Maggie’s lap. Nessa sleeping against him and Wyatt asleep in Zoey’s arms. Max looked over his little family, his heart filled with so much joy.  _ Life is good, and there is no place that I would rather be. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Sooooo. I, being the Gryffindor that i am, was challenged by LadyLillianRose. I had just read Jade4813's latest chapter of The Wedding Date and was PISSED!!!! Everyone in the Zoey/Max Nation Discord group can attest to this. I made a threat to go through with one of my more dastardly endings and LadyLillianRose responded with "I'll believe it when I see it." and "I dare you." SOOOOOOOO, it had to be done. NOW, that being said.... I am not altogether cruel. so there you have it. The horrible and cruel ending, and the true ending featuring much fluffs and loves. :) 
> 
> SO, blame Jade4813 for putting the heartbreaking idea in my head, Blame LadyLillianRose for DARING me to go through with it, and blame me for writing it. but then thank me for fixing it as well :) 
> 
> I have more stories coming. Sooooo, If you enjoy Clarkeman as much as I do, give both of these lovely ladies a shot and also read more of mine if you want :) There are a lot of great writers out there, and i wish i could thank you all but if we all read each others stories in advance, who would read them later? :)   
> Thank you all for being so awesome!!!!


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